Final Canadian WWI veteran dies

From the BBC:

The last Canadian veteran of World War I has died at the age of 109.

John Babcock enlisted at the age of 15 after lying about his age. He trained in Canada and England but the war ended before he reached the French frontline.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Mr Babcock was Canada's last living link to the Great War...

...He moved to the US in the 1920s, serving in the United States Army between 1921 and 1924 before becoming an electrician.

He died in Spokane, Washington, where he had lived since 1932, according to a statement from Mr Harper.

Mr Babcock tried to enlist in the US military again in 1941 but failed when it was discovered he had never become a US citizen.

He was naturalised as a US citizen in 1946.


This leaves American Frank Buckles, Briton Florence Green of the Women's Royal Air Force and Australian Claude Choules as the only three surviving World War I veterans.

There is still no official national monument to World War I veterans.

If you're in D.C., we do have a monument on the Mall to District residents who served I highly recommend you visit. It was dedicated on Armistice Day, 1931 and my hometown congressman, Ted Poe, has filed legislation to expand it and designate it as the official memorial.

No comments:

Post a Comment