Number of WW11 Vets remaining

[ancient-one]

I was watching a news program and they said that of the sixteen million people who served, only four hundred thousand of us remain. If I heard right, and I think I did, that is a little shocking.

 

[Kanewpadle]

That is shocking. I've have attended funerals for those that fought in WWI and WWII. Sad.

 

[ditrina]

The news reported the this Veterans Day was the first with NO UNITED STATES WW I VETERANS...

 

[Hillbilly77]

About 8 years ago, my wife's WWII veteran grandfather passed away, and was given military honors at the service.
The chaplain said that at that time WWII vets were dying at a rate of 1,000 a day.
Very sad.

 

[feralmerril]

I have just one uncle left, (younger brother of dad`s) out of about 9 that served. That is counting some aunts husbands too. Dad had 3 brothers in, my mother one, and 5 aunts husbands. Uncle art, the one still liveing was the first in our county to be drafted and he is right at 96 years old. All my aunts were army wives durring the war. EVERY ONE OF THEM CAME BACK!

 

[chud333]

That to me is shocking in that i thought there we're much
fewer than that surviving.
I was born in 1960 but i believe that those men in that
generation to be (Our Countrys Finest Generation).
God Bless all of them who served.

Chuck

 

[ancient-one]

After giving it a little thought, I don't know why I was shocked. I worked with a bunch of WW11 vets at Tinker AFB and I only know of two of them that are still alive. We started attending our church in about 1974 and there were quite a few there. Now there are only three of us.

 

[A10]

I meet WWII vets at the Museum of Flight, but it seems fewer are around. My Uncle Bill celebrated his 88th birthday two weeks ago, he was an island hopping Marine in the war. He met his wife at the USO in San Diego!

 

[biggs357]

I don't know the numbers but I do know I really miss dad,he fought his way across Europe,He passed this Sept 15 at the age of 89.I actually picked up the phone to call him today but had to stop my self.There is a lot of grief and memories running around in my mind.

 

[max]

I did some quick checking and it looks as if there are approx 1.5 million still alive. The median age is 86 and about 800 die each day.

 

[S&WIowegan]

I was born in 1942(so I'm 70) and that gives you an idea how old veterans of WW II have to be. Yes they are passing rapidly which is why the honor flights to DC started about 5 yrs. ago.

The Des Moines Register did a special today and interviewed vets from WW II including a 104 yr. old. Some of these guys still cry when they talk about all the buddies who died right beside them. Bomber crewmen who saw the plane next to them disappear in shreds just shake their heads at how lucky they were to survive. They used to hate being called heroes but are getting used to it lately.

We have a local USPSA/IPSC club that has had a WW II vet join us and shoot his 1911. He ain't fast but he can damn well hit what he shoots at! he's pretty young at 86.

 

[Smokin' Iron]

I don't know the numbers but I do know I really miss dad,he fought his way across Europe,He passed this Sept 15 at the age of 89.I actually picked up the phone to call him today but had to stop my self.There is a lot of grief and memories running around in my mind.

Same here. My father served in the Philippines and has been gone now for 10 years. I am proud to be his son and still miss him daily.

My uncle fought and was wounded in Europe. He earned silver and bronze stars for heroism but never spoke of it. A gentle hardware clerk that considered life to be very precious. He joined his brother last year.

A brave and sincere generation is passing. To those still left you have my deepest thanks and respect.

 

[Smokin' Iron]

I was born in 1942(so I'm 70) and that gives you an idea how old veterans of WW II have to be. Yes they are passing rapidly which is why the honor flights to DC started about 5 yrs. ago.

The Des Moines Register did a special today and interviewed vets from WW II including a 104 yr. old. Some of these guys still cry when they talk about all the buddies who died right beside them. Bomber crewmen who saw the plane next to them disappear in shreds just shake their heads at how lucky they were to survive. They used to hate being called heroes but are getting used to it lately.

We have a local USPSA/IPSC club that has had a WW II vet join us and shoot his 1911. He ain't fast but he can damn well hit what he shoots at! he's pretty young at 86.

I had the pleasure of speaking to a gentleman that was a waist gunner in a B-17 over Europe and flew the maximum number of bombing missions. He told me with tears in his eyes that he still wakes in the morning and asks the question "Why me? Why did I survive?" Shaking his hand did not seem to be enough.

 

[Beemerguy53]

The youngest WWII vets would be 84 or 85 today, so it isn't really surprising that there are so few of them left.

I began my career in the Baltimore City Fire Department on November 11, 1974. At that time, the Greatest Generation was running the BCFD, and they were tough and ornery and brave. I learned a lot from those guys, and I have always considered it a great privilege to have worked with them.

God bless them, and all our veterans...and thanks so much for your service to our country.

 

[riverrat38]

When I was a youth, there were still Civil War Veterans alive. Old ones. They were probably 12 year old drummer boys, but they were in battles. They grew up fast! This was during WW2. When I heard that there were no more WW1 vets left, I was really surprised. Now, WW2! I was in the National Guard during the Viet Nam era, but, unlike some of my fellow Guardsman, didn't leave the USA. Our unit was spared.

Rick

 

[carpriver]

My uncle turned 90 this past August. He severed in the Army in Europe during WWII. HE continues to be my hero. He set and example for me to follow. My father was not able to serve but he war effort was as a armed guard at a supply depot near Lansing Mi. Those men gave so much to this country, more than could ever be repaid.

 

[davegarage]

My Dad is a WW II vet

My father is a WWII vet that also survived the war. He was born in 1923, and joined the Army before his 18th birthday in 1940. He and his cousin signed up in Mitchell SD. He was sent to California for training. His company worked the coast, and then was sent to Alaska. Pearl Harbor happened while my father was in Alaska as an Air Corps Tech Sargent.

My Uncle Don, my fathers older brother, joined in 1940 as well. He had college experience, and was sent to bomber flight school in Kansas and then Texas. Don passed away from leukemia before he could complete B-24 pilot training. LT Donald Thimsen.

My nephew SSgt. M Thorusen has served in IRAQ for two tours, and has been an outstanding Marine.

The Thimsen family wishes to give all of our U S service personnel the best
on this Veterans Day.

Good luck and go forth.

Dave

 

[Sprefix]

Yes, most volunteered while others were called. All are heroes. I can't imagine any finer human beings stepping up in the future unless some HUGE social changes are made. Best to those left that put themselves in harms way. May God Bless you all.

 

[7shooter]

When I was a youth, there were still Civil War Veterans alive. Old ones. They were probably 12 year old drummer boys, but they were in battles. They grew up fast! This was during WW2. When I heard that there were no more WW1 vets left, I was really surprised. Now, WW2! I was in the National Guard during the Viet Nam era, but, unlike some of my fellow Guardsman, didn't leave the USA. Our unit was spared.

Rick

I remember reading about the youngest Medal of Honor recipient , Willie Johnston , who was a drummer boy from Vermont.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Johnston_(Medal_of_Honor)

 

[walnutred]

My dad served in the WW2 and Korea and sadly died before either of my children could meet him. One Veterans Day in 1976 when we were celebrating the Bicentennial I remember him telling about his dad taking him to the Old Soldiers Home to meet a Civil War Veteran who had been at Appomattox Courthouse and saw the end of the Civil War. The old Veteran mentioned to my dad that when he was very young his father had taken him to meet a Revolutionary War Veteran that had been at Yorktown. At the time it greatly impressed me how young our country was that I was only two handshakes away from someone who had served with Washington.

Now I think back and realize just how much history my dad had witnessed firsthand, though as he spent a fair amount of time as a rear gunner in a TBM he would have joked he saw a lot of that history going away not head on.