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Last World War One Combat Veteran has Died.


Stacy

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http://uk.news.yahoo.com/last-first-world-war-veteran-dies-041955423.html

The last known combat veteran of the First World War has died at the age of 110, his family has said.

British-born Claude Stanley Choules, who was known as "Chuckles" by his comrades, joined the Royal Navy aged just 14 and witnessed the scuttling of the German fleet at Scapa Flow in 1919.

He emigrated to Australia in the 1920s and served in the military for 41 years before retiring and publishing his first book at the age of 108.

Quite sad there is very few if at all any people from that era still alive. World War One was a very very bloody war were most of the worlds youth died in the muddy trenchs of hell.

I know its cliche to post this ending relating to World War I but its just so moving.

I leave with the Poem 'The Final Inspection' by Sgt Joshua Helterbran:

The Soldier stood and faced God

Which must always come to pass

He hoped his shoes were shining

Just as bright as his brass.

"Step forward you Soldier,

How shall I deal with you?

Have you always turned the other cheek?

To My Church have you been true?"

The Solider squared his shoulders and said

"No, Lord, I guess I ain't

Because those of us who carry guns

Can't always be a saint.

I've had to work on Sundays

And at times my talk was tough,

And sometimes I've been violent,

Because the world is awfully rough.

But, I never took a penny

That wasn't mine to keep.

Though I worked a lot of overtime

When the bills got just to steep,

And I never passed a cry for help

Though at times I shook with fear,

And sometimes, God forgive me,

I've wept unmanly tears.

I know I don't deserve a place

Among the people here.

They never wanted me around

Except to calm their fears.

If you've a place for me here,

Lord, It needn't be so grand,

I never expected or had too much,

But if you don't, I'll understand."

There was silence all around the throne

Where the saints had often trod

As the Soldier waited quietly,

For the judgement of his God.

"Step forward now, you Soldier,

You've borne your burden well.

Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,

You've done your time in Hell."

Edited by BW199148
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salute.jpg

That's really all I can say right now. Thus endeth an era.

Found the video I was looking for:

Edited by Axl
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You should change your topic title to the "Last British World War One Veteran has Died" because according to The last WW1 veteran died about 3 months and 10 days ago.

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You should change your topic title to the "Last British World War One Veteran has Died" because according to The last WW1 veteran died about 3 months and 10 days ago.

If you read it, it says the last know combat veteran regardless of country. :)

Edited by BW199148
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The man was born before the British Empire, indeed before many European empires, fell to the ravages of modern warfare, when the Saxe-Coburg Gotha was the name of the royal household instead of (dull as fuck) Windsor. He was born and grew up in a world where the Wild West of America was still sort of wild (at least in places), before easy travel across country, let alone the world, was possible.

He watched as Europe tore itself to shreds and ended in one fell swoop its centuries of dominance over world affairs, as America began its ascendancy, as Mexico endured terrible civil strife, as China's empire crumbled. He saw the rise of the motorcar and the aeroplane, the proliferation of machineguns; the terrible things these new weapon systems could do. He saw the birth and development of the atomic and information ages, the rise of radio and television, countless fashion trends and changes to attitudes towards homosexuality, race, women and other such things that were in large part utterly inconceivable when he was young.

He was born in one world, lived in a different world, and died in another world. The changes he saw... mind blowing stuff. I can only hope to see as much in my lifetime as he did in his.

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Wow, this amazing! I've always thought that people who have grown to live so long, have seen so many changes in our world's appearance and social structure. I hope that by the time he died he could still remember things, and actually reflect about everything he lived through in all his life. It's pretty amazing that one person managed to live one of the world's greatest calamities, and actually managed to survive many decades to tell it later.

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Wow, this amazing! I've always thought that people who have grown to live so long, have seen so many changes in our world's appearance and social structure. I hope that by the time he died he could still remember things, and actually reflect about everything he lived through in all his life. It's pretty amazing that one person managed to live one of the world's greatest calamities, and actually managed to survive many decades to tell it later.

Hi Ulver, he managed to write and publish a Biography two years before he died. :)

Edited by BW199148
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