Canada's last WW1 vet passes away at 109

[ricosuave]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle1473535/

"He was an unlikely and reluctant figurehead for a generation of heroes, a self-described “tin soldier” whose teenaged zeal for combat conspired to keep him out of the very war that would one day cast him as its sole Canadian survivor."

[pylon]

“ I think it would be nice if all the different people in the world could get along together so we weren’t having wars. I don’t suppose that’ll ever happen, though. ”— Jack Babcock, First World War veteran

Its sad that after 93 years he would still have to say that, you would have thought we would have figured it out by now.

[dre]

Originally Posted by pylon

“ I think it would be nice if all the different people in the world could get along together so we weren’t having wars. I don’t suppose that’ll ever happen, though. ”— Jack Babcock, First World War veteran

Its sad that after 93 years he would still have to say that, you would have thought we would have figured it out by now.

Since humans have walked this earth we have yet to figure it out. Its pathetic actually. RIP Jack. Gold medal for you tonight.

[tete]

I knew it had to happen eventually, but it's still a sad moment.

[CaptainCrunch]

Very sad, one of the last links to that period of time. RIP

[NSFL]

RIP Jack. For someone I didn't know, I was ridiculously attached to you. I always looked for you or listened for your name in the Remembrance day ceremonies. Your presence will be missed.

[CrusaderPi]

Very sad day. Too much has already been forgotten about the great war, I fear.

[Russic]

It's hard to believe that in my lifetime there will be a day when we'll lose the last WWII vet as well.

[CaptainCrunch]

While there won't be a state funeral, it would be nice if Canada found a way to use this to get people to look back at the history of this country and its remarkable achievements in WWI

[burn_baby_burn]

Originally Posted by Russic

It's hard to believe that in my lifetime there will be a day when we'll lose the last WWII vet as well.

No doubt. I had lunch with an older gentleman just before Remembrance Day who was talking about being over in Europe. So I started to ask him where he had been. He had served in Europe from the invasion of Sicily till after the war was over. I asked if he was at Ortona since I had an uncle that was killed there who we have a memorial service for ever year on Remembrance Day back on the ranch where my family homesteaded. He said that he had and told me a bit about it. That was just so amazing to me.

In my life time I have known many WWII veterans. But now it seems they are few and far between. At least ones that I know. Makes me wish my grandfathers would have lived longer so I could have asked them more about it. They liked to talk about being in the army but very seldom talked about any of the action they had experienced. As tough as it is for some of these guys, I really think it is important that they do share their memories so we can pass them on to the next generation.

[Bobblehead]

My grandfather would never speak about his WW1 experience. I never knew him (he passed a couple months after I was born) but I have often considered ordering his personnel file to see where he served. I found his attestation papers and the first place he was sent to in England, but that seems to have been some sort of a staging unit.

[Methanolic]

Lest We Forget.

[Komskies]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

My grandfather would never speak about his WW1 experience. I never knew him (he passed a couple months after I was born) but I have often considered ordering his personnel file to see where he served. I found his attestation papers and the first place he was sent to in England, but that seems to have been some sort of a staging unit.

Sounds very similar to me, except with WW2. My grandpa died about a month after I was born. He was part of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. As far as I know he was part of the liberation of the Netherlands.

[jar_e]

Its hard to even fathom that he was born in 1900. I can't imagine not only his war turmoils and serving his country, but the vast amount of experience and things he saw in this world. RIP.

[simmer2]

For those of you interested in WWI, there's a great book out there called Shock Troops which is a history of Canadian involvement in WWI...it's a two volume series and the nice thing about the book is it ties in not only the military and strategy side but also the personal side. For a 600+ page book it is very well written.

[Torrie the Whaler]

Thank you


The GreatWar 1914-1918

In Flanders Fields

by John McCrae, May 1915
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

[Magnum PEI]

Great, now we can move on. I find it really ironic that Canada's "coming of age" came mindlessly fighting for Great Britain in a meaningless war. It's too bad Germany didn't win during the 1918 offensive. No Versailles, no Hitler, no atom bomb, no Israel, and less potent USSR and USA.

[jar_e]

Originally Posted by Magnum PEI

Great, now we can move on. I find it really ironic that Canada's "coming of age" came mindlessly fighting for Great Britain in a meaningless war. It's too bad Germany didn't win during the 1918 offensive. No Versailles, no Hitler, no atom bomb, no Israel, and less potent USSR and USA.

Did you just call a guys death "great"?

Have some freaking class.

[Magnum PEI]

Originally Posted by jar_e

Did you just call a guys death "great"?

Have some freaking class.

He fought for an army that was noted for a) executing prisoners b)starving enemy civilians c)using poison gas
maybe he should have shown some class.

[dre]

Originally Posted by Magnum PEI

He fought for an army that was noted for a) executing prisoners b)starving enemy civilians c)using poison gas
maybe he should have shown some class.

I thought you were moving on?