Living World War I veterans- Are there any?

Dear ALL,
I am trying to see in anyone has heard of living WWI veterans in the news recently or elsewhere.
It has been a long time since I visited this page. Back in 1998 and 1999 I spent a considerable amount of time tracking down and interviewing WWI veterans. My last interview was in 2000. The last veteran I knew died in 2002.
I have video and audio taped the people in hopes of putting together a documentary. At the very least I have preserved their stories.
I am interested in finding out if any veterans of WWI are being mentioned around the country. If anyone hears of one please contact me as a would like to do a few more interviews before it is really too late. (I was spurred to post this note after hearing of a 107 year old veteran on the news today.)

Please let me know the name and location of the vet (if possible) or at least the source of the story so I can at least track the veteran down and make the proper contacts.


Yours truly,

Kirk Goolsby
47 Winchester Street, #2
Warrenton, VA 20186

(540)341-7878
kgoolsby@gmu.edu

[Rod_Filan]

Kirk,

Today on the radio I heard there are only 11 remaining in North America. One woman and eight men in Canada and two men in the US. Statistics dictate that by Nov 2004 there is likely to be none.

Contacting Veterans Affairs Canada http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/general/ may provide you with names and locations of the last remaining Canadian WWI vets.

VBR
Rod

[Regulus]

Hi,

There remains one Belgian veteran from WW I and he's living at Detroit !
As far as I remember his name is Barbary. He originates from West Flanders. 104 years old, and still very fit for his age when he was 100 !
There is a Belgian newspaper in Detroit, and they should be able to help you further. It is called the Gazette van Detroit, is written in both Flemish and American.
I think that at this URL they should be able to give you the adress for the Gazette :
http://www.crl.edu/content.asp?l1=5&l2=22&l3=39&top=42

Best from Johan

[DTB]

Hi,

I've heard that 32 WWI french veterans remain today, they are recorded by the french administration.

DTB

[Russell]

Kirk,

On the BBC World Service last weekend the said 32 or 26 Brits left. Couldnt write it down as I was driving at the time. They interviewed two, the oldest is 109 and was an RNAS observer/pilot who was flying in 1916 in seaplanes. There were 6 Australians left as of last weekend. I am not sure if the 6 Australians count the one or 2 Brits who migrated post war and who live here.

Russell

[AOK4]

I saw an interview yesterday on Arte (German-French TV) with an Alsacian who served with the German Army in 14-18 but became a Frenchman after the war. He now got a medal from the French veteran's association.
I also read an article in a German newspaper a few months ago about one surviving veteran from the Füsilier-Regiment 40 who is 107.

Salut DTB,
sorry but in France there are still 36 and not 32 veterans.
Does anybody know how many veterans live in Russia, Germany, Austria (or Hungary), Italy, Serbia and Turkey ?
Ludovic

"According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, fewer than 200 World War I veterans nationwide are still living."

From this story:

http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/national/artic...2418133,00.html

[Lufbery]

There was a fellow in a nearby town (Lancaster or Lebanon, PA) awarded a French medal (Légion d'Honneur, I belive) in 1999 or 2000. I can try to find the archive in my local paper.

I remember his quote that he felt he didn't deserve the medal, and that he lived so long because when something wasn't working right, he got it fixed.

Regards,

[Paul Forster]

Check this out.From today's St.Paul Pioneer Press about one of Minnesota's Last WWI vets.

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/n...cal/7239230.htm