Canada's last First World War veteran dies at 109

[What's his face]

Sad Linky

It was bound to happen one of these days.

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.

John "Jack" Babcock was destined to play a starring role in the First World War. It just came nearly a century later than he might have expected.

Mr. Babcock, the last known veteran of Canada’s First World War army, has died at the age of 109.
He went in search of military glory at the age of 16, when he tried to sneak his way on to the front lines in France. His ruse was discovered, however, and he never made it to the battlefield.

“I wanted to go to France because I was just a tin soldier,” Mr. Babcock said in an interview with The Canadian Press in July 2007 at his home in Spokane, Wash.

He was born July 23, 1900, on a farm in Ontario and emigrated to the U.S. in the 1920s.
“I volunteered (for the front lines), but they found out I was underage. If the war had lasted another year I would have fought.”

Still, more than 80 years of hindsight had helped to temper that young man’s regret over not having faced enemy fire in the trenches of France - unlike many of his friends, who never returned.
“I might have got killed,” he said matter-of-factly.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, in a statement Thursday announcing Babcock’s death, said: “As a nation, we honour his service and mourn his passing.”

“The passing of Mr. Babcock marks the end of an era. His family mourns the passing of a great man. Canada mourns the passing of the generation that asserted our independence on the world stage and established our international reputation as an unwavering champion of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.”

Ten per cent of the roughly 600,000 Canadians who enlisted to fight in the First World War died on the battlefields of Europe; 170,000 more were wounded.

 

[Major Chord]

I doubt that any of the remaining veterans will be around by 2014. There are only one or two left now, I believe.

Sad thing is, soon we'll be counting down the WWII vets as well.

 

[gturner]

On a side note, when will we see the passing of the last veteran of the Temporal Cold War, or will we ever?

 

[trampledamage]

Rest In Peace Mr Babcock.

Still, 109's a good age to last until! And he was obviously in good health up until at least 2007 since he was letting the Canadian Press interview him then.

 

[Canadave]

Sad news.

 

[gturner]

Yes, sad, but he outlived Germany's last WW-I veteran by almost two years.

BBC link

On the period theory that the war would be won by the last man standing, you guys win - again!

 

[Gil T.Azell]

Rest In Peace Mr Babcock.

Still, 109's a good age to last until! And he was obviously in good health up until at least 2007 since he was letting the Canadian Press interview him then.

Thank you sir R.I.P.

 

[Kirkman1987]

I can't imagine having lived through that much history.

RIP

 

[RJDiogenes]

Rest in peace, Mr Babcock.

That was a good long life. It must have been amazing to have experienced the entire 20th Century.

 

[ancientone51]

/**
RIP

 

[Deranged Nasat]

Why are you all sad? "Man dies at 109" is not sad- it's positively wonderful. 109 is a great age. We should all be so lucky; a very long life. And for a man who suffered through World War I to actually reach old age at all is a great relief. He could so easily have died like so many of his fellows. Thank the gods he didn't actually find that so-called "military glory".

So, "109 year old world war veteren dies" does not seem sad in the slightest to me. Okay, death is solemn, always, but not sad, not in these circumstances. And for the Canadian government to use it for the usual nationalistic posturing seems highly disrespectful to me, but there you are.

 

[Deranged Nasat]

Yes, sad, but he outlived Germany's last WW-I veteran by almost two years.

BBC link

On the period theory that the war would be won by the last man standing, you guys win - again!

That's one way to call it, I suppose. Take that, Jerry!

 

[RJDiogenes]

Why are you all sad? "Man dies at 109" is not sad- it's positively wonderful. 109 is a great age. We should all be so lucky; a very long life. And for a man who suffered through World War I to actually reach old age at all is a great relief.

It's always too soon, and always sad.

"Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light."

 

[RandyS]

I doubt that any of the remaining veterans will be around by 2014. There are only one or two left now, I believe.

Sad thing is, soon we'll be counting down the WWII vets as well.

Yep. Many of those have been gone for a while. My grandfather for example, has been dead 19 years.

On topic though, I'm surprised to hear that anybody from WWI is (or was) still alive. I thought they had all passed on some time ago.

 

[What's his face]

There are still 2 British veterans and an American left.

 

[the 4th hanson bro]

They say you can't live forever, but Mr. Babcock surely tried.

RIP