Canada's Last Great War Veteran

[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by Agamemnon

Does anyone know in what way these 3 vet's participated in the war? Front line combat? Mailroom sorters? Does that make a difference when it comes to giving him/them state funerals?

And the third one:

Dwight Wilson



In November 1916 he sailed on the S.S. Grampian for England as a trumpeter with the 69th Battery C.F.A., but was returned to Canada in 1917 when his true age was discovered

http://theontariomason.com/article_001.shtml

[jolinar of malkshor]

Petition calling for state funeral for WWI veteran gaining steam

"An online petition calling for a state funeral for the last veteran of the First World War passed the 43,000-signature mark Friday and is rising by the hour, organizers said."

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2006/...n-funeral.html

Am I the only one on this site that has signed the thing?

[Neeper]

I support the idea of a state funeral for the last survivor. It's not a funeral just for them, but what it represents. I think the symbolic idea is important to close this chapter in our history.

[jolinar of malkshor]

State funeral for last WWI vet approved by House

Looks like they decided to have a state funeral.


http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2006/...e-funeral.html

[octothorp]

Doesn't look like this is going to happen now. I can't say I'm surprised, but it's nice to see that a 107-year-old veteran is so humble as to decline such an honour in favour of something honouring all WWI vets.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/...n-funeral.html

[BlackArcher101]

"The institute said the government would be unwise to ignore the will of Parliament."

Um... is it me or didn't both agree to have the funeral. It's the will of the survivors that they are "ignoring".

Cheers to the survivors though, true heroes for turning down the state funeral.

[Bobblehead]

And then there was one.

Percy Dwight Wilson, a 106-year-old veteran of the First World War, died early Wednesday at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, leaving only one surviving veteran of The Great War.

link