Last WWI Vet Turns 109

[Backnblack]

Great Story...Kickazz Solider.

Last U.S. veteran of World War I turns 109 - CNN.com

[3turner]

Indeed, great story. Without getting into politics, I do hope that the WWI memorial is funded and put in DC instead of in Missouri as he is asking to be done.
Thanks for linking.

[JhankG]

Wow, 109 years old is amazing.

God bless our solders, especially our snipers!

[TimChgo9]

It has been 95 years since the start of the war that changed Europe forever, and set in motion the events that would lead to WWII.

On November 11, 1918, at 11 am local time, WWI, or "The Great War", or the "War to End all Wars" ended for Europe, with the exception of Germany.... WWI never really ended for the Germans, the 1920's through Hitler's rise to power in 1933, were a time of continuous political upheaval, civil unrest, and mayhem. The Treaty of Versailles, known in Germany as the Diktat did little to help that country in the interwar years. The Germans were ripe for someone like Hitler to come along.

What the history classes fail to teach in schools today, is that WWI and WWII are inextricably linked, one begat the other, they weren't two separate wars, as the history books seem to indicate. WWI ended the "old order" in Europe, the princes, and potentates, empires and monarchs met their end, in 1918. A new Europe was being born, revolution was sweeping Russia, the Kaiser was in exile, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire was in ashes. Going back even further, the "old order" if you will began it's decline nearly 50 years before that, after Germany's victory in the Franco-Prussian war of 1870. Germany, with the help of Bismark, Krupp, and Kaiser Wilhelm was rising, and had been since the late 1850's . Defeating France in 1871 could even be considered Germany's birth.

When one studies all of European history, especially the time period of 1860-1914, one can see the stage being set for the coming wars. The arms race, the rise of Germany, and the decline of France. In England, the years of "Splendid Isolation " were coming to an end, by 1905, France and England had been talking about cooperating militarily. Krupp, Schneider, Vickers, Skoda, and Putiloff were the big arms dealers in Europe, and every nation was armed to the teeth. In the words of Lenin, Europe was a "powder keg".

I have studied WWII since I was about 15 years old, and the fascination has never worn off. When I started studying the political reasons behind the war's beginning, it lead to more reading about the history of Europe prior to the start of WWI.... It is endlessly fascinating (well, to me anyway).

It's amazing that there is still someone left from that era....I would love to talk to him, I could only imagine what he witnessed....It would be fascinating.

[Data]

We need to thank him and all Veterans like him for there service to our country.

[STIDRIVER]

^^^ This... I'd love to shake this guys hand... God bless the troops!!!!!!!!

[Backnblack]

^^^ This... I'd love to shake this guys hand... God bless the troops!!!!!!!!

Agreed! Think of the stories he could tell...

[MM1 Payne (US Navy)]

Hell Yeah. Much respect! IYAOYAS!