France honors last living U.S. veteran of WWI.
The last living U.S. veteran of the First World War, 107-year-old Frank Woodruff Buckles, became an Officer of the Legion of Honor yesterday in a ceremony at the French Embassy in Washington. You can read more about the event here and here. Having posted from time to time about the remaining World War I veterans, I thought I should make mention of the award (which represents a promotion of sorts for Mr. Buckles, who became a Knight of the Legion of Honor nine years ago and now advances to the next highest rank in the five classes of France's highest civilian award). I hope that the recognition that Mr. Buckles has received for his service helps to keep alive the memory of a conflict that ended nearly ninety years ago. AMDG.
posted by Joseph Koczera, S.J. @ 2:30 PM
1 comments
1 Comments:
Joe, thanks for posting this. The Great War was perhaps equally as much a watershed in 20th century history as WWII yet very much dwarfed in Americans' consciousness by the Second. Surely it lives on more vividly--at least in its influences--in Europe. Thanks for ensuring the blood shed by millions, and thousands of Americans, in that tragic conflict aren't forgotten. One interesting note before I go--I will remember for a long time to come the remarks made by a German prof. I studied with this past summer in Europe, who tried strenously (and I must admit, perhaps successful) to disabuse me, and by extension all Americans, of the notion that WWI was a war of good against evil (i.e. UK-US-France against Germany) the way WWII was. He's probably right.
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