France's oldest man dies, one WWI survivor left

[Kokonoe]

Source: Reuters


PARIS (Reuters) - France's oldest man, a First World War veteran who refused a medal and spoke powerfully about the horrors of war, has died at 110, leaving just one veteran alive from the conflict.
He described patriotism as "a way of making people swallow anything" and war as absurd and useless. "Nothing can justify it, nothing," he said.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL2030684920080120

[fenriswolf]

1. i like that guy.

[Fridays Child]

2. The last surviving U.S. WWI veteran to actually serve overseas is Frank Buckles.

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/11/12/106-year-old-wwi-veteran-speaks-on-the-iraq-war

[LeighAnn]

16. Veterans History Project

The Veterans History Project was started, I believe, under the Clinton Administration, and it endeavored to interview all the remaining WWI survivors, thank Heavens. You can find the interviews and other info here:

http://www.loc.gov/vets/stories/

Also, if you go for that sort of thing, here's my WWI video I made after I went to the National WWI museum in Kansas City. I highly recommend that museum to anyone who lives or visits this part of the country!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbggEGUaE28

~*Peace*~

[Fridays Child]

18. Nice video.

Enjoyed the film and that rendition of "Over There." "Finney La Guerre!" :)

[IndyOp]

3. "You should have heard the wounded between the lines. They called out to their mothers

"...begged us to go finish them off," he told Le Monde.

We need more veterans who will testify as honestly.

[BlueJazz]

4. After reading this Man's story,......

...I see that He has more Honor and Integrity than the entire Bush Administration.

[genieroze]

5. Someones athlete foot has more Honor and Integrity than this entire Bush MisAdministration.

[spotbird]

13. So does the crack dealer

by my kids school.

[Xithras]

6. Headline and excerpt slightly misleading. Only 1 WWI survivor left IN FRANCE.

There are 20-odd WWI military survivors left worldwide, and 16 or so combat survivors. The oldest surviving WWI combat veteran is a guy by the name of Harry Allingham in Britain. The last American combat veteran is Frank Buckles.

[pansypoo53219]

7. currently reading a WWI

era book written by an early embedded reporter. very interesting.
but from the descriptions, a bloody waste.

[Javaman]

11. What is the name of the book? nt

[struggle4progress]

8. Irony of remembrance (November 2007)

rony of remembrance
Some veterans prefer every day recognition to medals and commemorations
Stephane Malhomme
Issue date: 11/13/07

... In 2005, the French department of war decided to mark the departure of the last war veteran of WWI with all the pomp and ceremony of a national funeral. This government commission, under the President's authority, did not deem necessary to consult the vets themselves.

"Bullshit," said French war vet Louis de Cazenave, who is 110, when he heard of the plans to make his funeral a national affair. He is one of two remaining veterans from WWI. "I have other plans for that day," he said in an interview with Le Monde last week. He wants to be buried in the familial lot in his native Saint Georges d'Aurac.

"I never liked honours and medals, it's a load of crap" he added. The man came back from the front lines transformed into a convicted pacifist.

De Cazenave also proved to be annoyingly free-spirited when it came to accepting the "Légion d'Honneur", France's highest distinction, in 1990 ... "They can pin it or stuff it where they want," he concluded ...

http://media.www.theconcordian.com/media/storage/paper290/news/2007/11/13/News/Irony.Of.Remembrance-3097981.shtml

[Lethe]

9. "I have other plans for that day."

It may be a translation thing, but this statement struck me as kind of brilliant thing to say about one's funeral.

[boricua79]

10. smart man.

a man who ACTUALLY witnessed the horrors of war.

But who cares what he says...he's French, right? :sarcasm:

[Hand]

12. Adieu, soldat--et merci pour tout que vous avez fait.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

14. Since I'm old enough to remember when there were quite a few WWI veterans about

this is rather startling to me. Only 20+ World War I veterans still alive? But when I think about it, they were the contemporaries of my grandmother, who was born in 1899 and died in 2000.

Some of the younger DUers who are reading this thread may find themselves in middle age reading about the death of the last World War II veterans.

[alphafemale]

15. I remember seeing a couple of Spanish American War Veterans when I was a kid.

This must have been in the 70's I guess. And I remember how they looked incredibly old.

[mtnester]

17. Lots of them are older too

my WWII vet Grandpa will be 86 in April

(and PS..he still won't talk about it...PTSD all these years)