I was saddened to hear of the passing of the last known U.S. veteran of World War One, Frank Buckles.
He was 110 years old. It's hard to imagine the changes in the world that Mr. Buckles witnessed in his long life.
I had the great honor to meet Mr. Buckles at a ceremony commemorating the 75th anniversary of World War One.
He was a warm, friendly man, full of life and sharply intelligent. He struck me as a man of ideas, a clear thinker.
His stories about his service during the war were not--as most veterans' stories are not--full of drama and glory. They were tales of a very young man (still in his teens) witnessing dramatic world events through rather innocent eyes.
His encounters with a variety of characters, his duties driving a motorcycle, his experiences behind the lines--these were the vignettes he described with humor and gravity.
It is said that Mr. Buckles believed that going to war is always a serious matter and that the U.S. should only engage in war unless absolutely necessary.
Since Mr. Buckles served overseas in the 2nd decade of the 20th century, the U.S. has gone to war, time and again.
It seems like such a long time ago since the guns of August sounded. How far we've come since then. In the lifespan of an American man who wanted to serve his country and travel overseas to be part of a momentous event we've evolved in so many ways.
Our willingness to engage in war, however, seems only to have increased.
He was 110 years old. It's hard to imagine the changes in the world that Mr. Buckles witnessed in his long life.
I had the great honor to meet Mr. Buckles at a ceremony commemorating the 75th anniversary of World War One.
He was a warm, friendly man, full of life and sharply intelligent. He struck me as a man of ideas, a clear thinker.
His stories about his service during the war were not--as most veterans' stories are not--full of drama and glory. They were tales of a very young man (still in his teens) witnessing dramatic world events through rather innocent eyes.
His encounters with a variety of characters, his duties driving a motorcycle, his experiences behind the lines--these were the vignettes he described with humor and gravity.
It is said that Mr. Buckles believed that going to war is always a serious matter and that the U.S. should only engage in war unless absolutely necessary.
Since Mr. Buckles served overseas in the 2nd decade of the 20th century, the U.S. has gone to war, time and again.
It seems like such a long time ago since the guns of August sounded. How far we've come since then. In the lifespan of an American man who wanted to serve his country and travel overseas to be part of a momentous event we've evolved in so many ways.
Our willingness to engage in war, however, seems only to have increased.