Frank Buckles, Oldest U.S. WWI Veteran, Receives Funeral of Honor

Frank Buckles, a World War I veteran who died at the age of 110, received a military funeral of honor.

By Kathryn Hawkins. Posted on March 15 2011

Frank Buckles lied about his age to enlist in the Army at the tender age of 16, like so many other young soldiers. He served as an ambulance driver in France, carting wounded soldiers from battlegrounds to military hospitals. By the end of the war, he’d risen to the rank of corporal.

When World War II broke out, Buckles was serving as a ship’s officer on merchant vessels. He had the misfortune to be captured by Japanese troops while he was sailing through the Philippines, and was held prisoner of war for more than three years.

Unfortunately, Buckles didn’t receive much recognition for everything he’d gone through in support of his country. The G.I. Bill wasn’t created until 1944, so WWI vets like Buckles didn’t receive any government support for their service, except for an eventual $800 bonus sparked by a veterans’ revolt. He gave the money to his father, an Oklahoma farmer who’d been left destitute by the Dust Bowl.

But recently, the life of Frank Buckles has come to light as a symbol of the “lost generation” and everything the soldiers went through. Buckles, who passed away on February 28th, lived to 110. That made him the oldest survivor of World War I in all of the United States—so when he died, the military honored him in style.

Buckles’ burial at Arlington National Cemetery on Tuesday was attended by President Obama and Vice-President Biden. But the funeral also hosted hundreds of strangers, who were there to pay tribute to Buckles and the World War I veterans in their own lives.

“I’m here for Mr. Buckles and I’m here for what he represents,” 73-year old Mike Oliver told the Washington Post. He wore his father’s gold World War I infantry division insignia on his lapel. “I’m here to say goodbye to my dad,” he said.

Oliver and the others said goodbye to the aged veteran with dignity. The funeral closed with a formation of soldiers escorting a horsedrawn carriage containing Buckles’ coffin. As soldiers fired their guns towards the sky in unison, the crowd said goodbye to a generation of courageous fighters.

Filed under: Heroes, History,

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