List of surviving veterans of World War I

The following is a list of known surviving veterans of the First World War (28 July 1914–11 November 1918). The total number of participating personnel is unknown, but there were an estimated nine million military casualties during the conflict.

Veterans, for this purpose, are defined as people who were members of the armed forces of one of the combatant nations up to and including the date of the Armistice. Other WWI-era veterans are listed separately. This policy may vary from the policy in actual use in some countries.

112-year-old Briton Henry Allingham, born 6 June 1896, is currently the oldest living verified WWI veteran. Emiliano Mercado del Toro of Puerto Rico (21 August 1891–24 January 2007), who died aged 115, is the oldest authenticated veteran, from any conflict, to have ever lived. On 27 May 2008, the last Central Powers' veteran, Franz Künstler of Austria-Hungary, died at age 107.

Verified veterans of the First World War—12 veterans

On 27 June 2006, the British Government approved a National Memorial Service at Westminster Abbey to take place after the death of the last known WWI veteran. [cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5120358.stm |title=Last WWI veteran to be honoured|first=|last= |accessdate=2008-08-25 |date=2006-06-27 |publisher=BBC News] Similarly, on 21 November 2006, the Canadian House of Commons approved a state funeral for the last World War I veteran to have served in the Canadian forces to die. [cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/01/02/veteran-funeral.html |title=First World War veterans don't want state funeral |date=2007-01-02|first=|last= |accessdate=2007-02-05 |publisher=CBC News] This will now go to John Babcock. On 19 March 2008, Frank Buckles was approved for burial at Arlington National Cemetery upon his death. [cite web|url=http://www.salem-news.com/articles/april082008/ww1_vet_4-8-08.php |title=Frank Buckles to be buried at Arlington|first=|last= |accessdate=2008-08-01 |date=2008-04-08 |publisher=Salem News]

On 25 October 2005, William Evan Allan received the Australian state funeral, [cite web|url=http://www.defence.gov.au/news/navynews/editions/4820/topstories/story01.htm |title=William Allan receives Australian state funeral|first=|last= |accessdate=2008-08-03 |date=2005-10-25 |publisher=Navy News] as John Campbell Ross did not see active service. On 17 March 2008, despite the existence of Pierre Picault and Fernand Goux, Lazare Ponticelli received the French state funeral as the last poilu officially recognized by the French government. [cite web| url=http://www.philly.com/dailynews/national/20080318_Adieu_to_an_oldest_soldier.html?text=med| first=Elaine| last=Ganley| title=Adieu to an oldest soldier| accessdate=2008-08-15| date=2008-03-17| publisher=Philadelphia Daily News] On 3 April 2008, Yakup Satar was similarly honoured in Turkey. [cite web|url=http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=138103| title=Turkey loses Independence War vet| accessdate=2008-08-15| date=2008-04-04| publisher=Today's Zaman]

World totals—17 veterans

* Verified claims of World War I and World War I Era: 15
** World War I (Veterans who joined by Armistice Day): 12
** World War I Era: 3
* Unverified claims: 2

See also

* Last surviving United States war veterans
* List of last surviving World War I veterans by country
* Surviving veterans of the Spanish Civil War
* List of notable last events

References

External links

* [http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=it&u=http://www.parrocchiamadonnadeipoveri.net/index.php%3Fid%3D153&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=2&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3D%2522delfino%2Bborroni%2522%26num%3D100%26hl%3Den Translated article & interview with Delfino Borroni, Italian veteran]
* [http://www.worldwar1.com/tgws/ The Great War Society]
* [http://www.westernfrontassociation.com/ The Western Front Association – UK branch]
* [http://www.wfa-usa.org/ The Western Front Association – US branch]
* [http://www.gwpda.org/ The Great War Primary Documents Archive]
* [http://www.prx.org/pieces/14652/stationinfo Public Radio Exchange (PRX) Walter Cronkite interviews some last surviving veterans of WWI]
* [http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/national/article/0,1406,KNS_350_5128592,00.html Article about the remaining US veterans]
* [http://www.nealirc.org/Gerontology/WorldWarIVeterans.html Table of the remaining veterans from this article]
* [http://www.tggf.us/World%20War%20I.html World War One "The Great War"]
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/12/opinion/12rubin.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin Article about Frank Buckles, the last US WWI vet to see action]
* [http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,530319,00.html "Last German World War I Veteran Believed to Have Died"] Article by David Crossland in Der Spiegel Online, 22 January 2008.
* [http://www.forumeerstewereldoorlog.nl/viewtopic.php?p=150749 "Harry Patch at Ypres"]