World War II Veterans

[gcreptile 10,963]

Ben Kuroki, only Japanese-American to fly above Japan (during WW II I should add) for the American side, has died at 98:

 

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/09/07/national/history/ben-kuroki-japanese-american-wwii-bomber-crew-hero-dead-98/#.Ve1QUPntlBc

 

He enlisted after Pearl Harbor and overcame U.S. discrimination policies.

[DevonDeathTrip 2,358]

America's oldest WWII veteran, Richard Overton, is my fucking hero--and unless you're a complete cunt, he will be yours, too!

SC

http://www.businessinsider.com/veteran-richard-overton-109-birthday-2015-5?fb_action_ids=1042652009080179&fb_action_types=og.shares&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%5B874929869245043%5D&action_type_map=%5B%22og.shares%22%5D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D

 

Richard Overton is in hospital with pneumonia. Not a good thing to have if you happen to be 109.

[charon 4,943]

 

 

Alix d'Unienville at 97.

http://www.bfmtv.com/societe/deces-d-alix-d-unienville-resistante-et-premiere-femme-prix-albert-londres-929950.html

 

Can't be many of those SOE girls left.

[charon 4,943]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_SOE_Agents

 

Thankfully good old wiki has a list

 

Dorothy Baden Powell will be 95/6 next year

[Phantom 2,531]

Milton Crenchaw - Tuskegee airman has died at the age of 96

[charon 4,943]

Milton Crenchaw - Tuskegee airman has died at the age of 96

 

Better than that, he trained all those Tuskegee potential hits, eh, pilots.

[Phantom 2,531]

 

Milton Crenchaw - Tuskegee airman has died at the age of 96

 

Better than that, he trained all those Tuskegee potential hits, eh, pilots.

 

 

I was in a hurry to post the link as it was really busy at work

 

Mal Whitfield who falls in to this thread and also that of Olympic medal winners, died a day later at the age of 91

[gcreptile 10,963]

 

 

 

The last of the Navajo Code Talkers, Chester Nez, is dead at 93:

 

http://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/last-of-the-navajo-code-talkers-has-died-aged-93.html#.VTzph4-Myno.facebook

 

The Navajo Code was formed out of a Native American Language to safely communicate on the Pacific Front of the World War.

Hmm, apparently Chester wasn't the last. I have this on Bahe Ketchum, 96. http://www.abc15.com/news/region-northern-az/other/navajo-code-talker-bahe-ketchum-dies-in-flagstaff-at-age-96.

 

Was Bahe the last? I'm not speculating.

The mystery intensifies with another Navajo code talker, Kee Etsicitty, dying at 92 on July 21st according to Wikipedia:

 

http://www.kvoa.com/story/29600997/navajo-code-talker-from-new-mexico-dies

You know, after a fair number of pints I have been known to speak Navajo Code.

SC

 

The next Navajo Code talker is dead, Ernest Yazhe at 92:

 

http://www.newsplex.com/home/headlines/Navajo-Code-Talker-Has-Died-365459131.html

[Paul Bearer 6,099]

WW2 Churchill code breaker Christina Morrison dead at 96 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-35310939

[Magere Hein 1,400]

WW2 Churchill code breaker Christina Morrison dead at 96 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-35310939

 

I remember seeing an interview with her. The interviewer made a mess of explaining the viewers what all that wizardry was about. She corrected him sternly and drifted off in an endless yarn of name dropping and office gossip. I know there was much drudgery in her work, but she might have chosen more interesting things to talk about.

[Shroud 19]

The number of surviving US WW II's must be rather low by now, although there are a lot of veterans generally in my area; several have passed recently, but I do know of two locally-born ones still going, (91 and 94/95) respectively. One notices a number of Korean Conflict/War veterans passing now, most of them at least in their mid-80's.

 

For some reason, President Truman didn't officially declare the conflict at an end until September 1946, so the numbers of surviving US veterans of WW II one sees listed most often are actually inflated due to this decision on Truman's part. The number of actual war-time or combat veterans must actually be closer to be half a million or so, I am guessing by this point with their average age being 94, now.

[Shroud 19]

Ed Vezy, the last surviving crew member of the U.S. S. Oklahoma died @ 96 on 1/2/2016. The Oklahoma was destroyed by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and deemed too badly damaged to try salvaging as some of the other ships were re-built.

[Davey Jones' Locker 1,324]

The number of surviving US WW II's must be rather low by now, although there are a lot of veterans generally in my area; several have passed recently, but I do know of two locally-born ones still going, (91 and 94/95) respectively. One notices a number of Korean Conflict/War veterans passing now, most of them at least in their mid-80's.

 

For some reason, President Truman didn't officially declare the conflict at an end until September 1946, so the numbers of surviving US veterans of WW II one sees listed most often are actually inflated due to this decision on Truman's part. The number of actual war-time or combat veterans must actually be closer to be half a million or so, I am guessing by this point with their average age being 94, now.

A few years ago, US WW2 vets were dying at a rate of 600 per day. I don't know if that rate has now gone up (because they are older) or down (because there are fewer of them left). I think I cited that figure with a link somewhere earlier in this thread.

 

Interesting fact about Truman not declaring an end until 1946. In Germany, it will take w hile for the last ones to go, since Hitler Youth members were being drawn upon as child soldiers in the end, the future Pope Benedict being an example.

[Davey Jones' Locker 1,324]

Here is some newer info: there were 1.7 million Yanks left in 2013, with the last expected to drop as late as 2036.

 

Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/05/us/war-veterans-by-the-numbers/

 

EDIT: Here is another source saying that 1.8 million Yanks were left in 2011, with a death rate of 850 per day with the last expected to go in 2038: http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/expect-the-last-world-war-ii-veteran-to-die-around-2038/1161080

[RandomCanadian 105]

My children's grandpa was in the German army. He was Polish and forced to serve when he was 15 surrendering to allied forces when he was 17. He very rarely talked about his war experience and I was one of the lucky few present one of times he felt like sharing. We lost him to cancer in 2013. He was one of the best men I ever knew.

[Shroud 19]

I'm sure that the higher figures of surviving US World War Two veterans include the non-combat people and perhaps the occupation-forces veterans until late 1946, anyway, as I was mentioning about President Truman waiting a year to declare the war officially at an end. Perhaps he had some concerns that Stalin would make some aggressive moves despite the atomic bomb, I don't know. It has been said for years in diverse places that General Patton, before his own death, had wanted to continue the war against the Soviet Union, and possibly some other top Generals did as well. Put that down as rumor if you like.

 

Actually, a few years ago, 1,200 + US WW II veterans were dying each day; the National WW Two Museum says that roughly 490 are dying per-day now as their ranks have thinned-out considerably in the past decade. There are at least three on the DeathList 2016; Ex Presidents Bush and Carter along with former Senator Bob Dole (if you ever wondered where his lame arm came from, now you know). Kirk Douglas may be another as well, although am less-sure of him.

 

In any event, the museum says 885 thousand US veterans were left as of New Year's Day, I take it, from figures supplied by the Veteran's Affairs Administration. The higher figures must include the post-August, 1945 to September 1946 people, and probably involves simple dated information and/or mistakes as well.

 

My own family including my dad served,* and his brothers as well in various theteaters of operation. The family has been in the "New World" since colonial times many ancestors in the military, so I do tend to keep some fairly-close track of such. As noted, one tends to see Korean and Vietnam veterans far more often now in the Obituaries than those from the world war.

 

There were over 16 million US veterans who served in the war at the peak. Towards the end of the war, our military weren't being nearly as strict about age-limits and the like as earlier on, so the younger ones mostly came in in 1944-1945.

 

*No, I'm not 65 or 70, just came along kind of late for that generation.

[Shroud 19]

I have seen an estimate of 2027 for when the last US veteran passes, somewhat sooner than the one cited above. For the curious, Frank Buckles was the last surviving World War one US veteran dying at 110 in 2011. No doubt a few of the youngest veterans of the Second War will live to a similar rather outrageous age, although one of the local old gents is declining fairly-rapidly, now. There are perhaps a a handful of others besides him who have retired to this region, although several of those have passed in the last year or so.

[Davey Jones' Locker 1,324]

I'm sure that the higher figures of surviving US World War Two veterans include the non-combat people and perhaps the occupation-forces veterans until late 1946, anyway, as I was mentioning about President Truman waiting a year to declare the war officially at an end. Perhaps he had some concerns that Stalin would make some aggressive moves despite the atomic bomb, I don't know. It has been said for years in diverse places that General Patton, before his own death, had wanted to continue the war against the Soviet Union, and possibly some other top Generals did as well. Put that down as rumor if you like.

 

Actually, a few years ago, 1,200 + US WW II veterans were dying each day; the National WW Two Museum says that roughly 490 are dying per-day now as their ranks have thinned-out considerably in the past decade.

I've heard the rumour about Patton before in a documentary. There was the suggestion of pre-emptive nuclear strikes before the Soviets obtained the bomb for themselves

 

Thanks for the additional stats.

[Magere Hein 1,400]

I had a check: Herman Wouk (U.S Navy), Prince Philip (Royal Navy), Lord (Peter) Carrington (Grenadier Guards), Murray Walker (Royal Scots Greys) and Leslie Phillips (Royal Artillery) served in WWII and saw combat. Peter Sallis (RAF), Richard Adams (Royal Army Service Corps), Stan Lee (US Signal Corps), Denis Norden (RAF) and Cliff Michelmore (RAF) did so in non-combat roles. Perhaps I missed some.

[Shroud 19]

Yes, you're very correct, Magere Heim - I knew Stan Lee was also a WW II veteran, but "let it slip" when commenting awhile ago. In one of the documentaries about Marvel Comics, he says he was fortunate enough to end up helping script training films and the like once it became known he was a writer. They probably didn't quite realize he was in the comics field, although my dad said they were actually rather popular items on the bases among the service guys. The paper drives during the war claimed most Golden Age comics and a great many pulp magazines of the time, which in effect helped create comics collecting.

 

Herman Wouk I should have recalled as well, of course.

 

Later on in Korea, General MacArthur wanted to finish the Communist Chinese off, and possibly Russia as well. Russia did have the bomb by then, but not very many of them, one should recall. This was what MacArthur was "relieved of duty" for, as he intended to go ahead regardless, at least with invading China. President Truman called him home, but was wary of some sort of uprising, frankly, if he had court-martial proceedings started against General MacArthur, unlikely as that may sound today., He was very popular among the public, and the military as well, of course.

 

A number of Soviet flyers flew against the US and allies during the Korean conflict as some here may know. I believe what aces the North Korean/Chinese had during this conflict were actually Soviet pilots for the most part.

[Shroud 19]

The most decorated US veteran of World war two was Audie Murphy 1925 - 1971; he had a year shaved-off his age to help him enlist which is stated on his tombstone at Arlington Nation Cemetery still. Murphy won every US combat military award for valor during the war, some more than once; he also received the Croix de Guerre and the French Legion of Honor along with the Belgian Cross de Guerre. Suffering what is knows as Post Traumatic Stress today, he remained rather troubled the rest of his life. Actor James Best, who was also a veteran of the war, was a good friend of Murphy's and related an incident during which some teen-agers insulted them while the two were driving about one day in Los Angeles, I believe. Murphy tried to chase them down, but the young idiots were fortunately able to escape. He was an actor mostly in westerns, but played himself in 1955's To Hell and Back. Murphy died in a small airplane crash in bad weather in 1971 in Virginia.

[JiroemonKimura 95]

I have seen an estimate of 2027 for when the last US veteran passes, somewhat sooner than the one cited above. For the curious, Frank Buckles was the last surviving World War one US veteran dying at 110 in 2011. No doubt a few of the youngest veterans of the Second War will live to a similar rather outrageous age, although one of the local old gents is declining fairly-rapidly, now. There are perhaps a a handful of others besides him who have retired to this region, although several of those have passed in the last year or so.

I'm ansolutely certain that there will still be vets surviving beyond 2027. The war ended in 1945, so the youngest vets would be born around 1929, and would "only" be 98 at that time., which is younger than several DP candidates.

 

I may be a bit optimistic, but IMO a reasonable estimate would be 2042-2044. WWI ended 26 years before WWII, and 2011+26=2037, but I think it is reasonable to expect that medical advances and greater number of WWII combatants will add a few years to that.

[Sir Creep 7,070]

 

I have seen an estimate of 2027 for when the last US veteran passes, somewhat sooner than the one cited above. For the curious, Frank Buckles was the last surviving World War one US veteran dying at 110 in 2011. No doubt a few of the youngest veterans of the Second War will live to a similar rather outrageous age, although one of the local old gents is declining fairly-rapidly, now. There are perhaps a a handful of others besides him who have retired to this region, although several of those have passed in the last year or so.

 

I'm ansolutely certain that there will still be vets surviving beyond 2027. The war ended in 1945, so the youngest vets would be born around 1929, and would "only" be 98 at that time., which is younger than several DP candidates.

I may be a bit optimistic, but IMO a reasonable estimate would be 2042-2044. WWI ended 26 years before WWII, and 2011+26=2037, but I think it is reasonable to expect that medical advances and greater number of WWII combatants will add a few years to that.

Ok I already posted about this like 10 months ago. The last WWI vet died I think in 2002, or 84 years after the war ended. Thus the last WWII vet should die around 2029 or so. Given medical breakthroughs maybe add a year but I don't think they've had any breakthroughs for old age so it's prolly moot.

 

SirC

[Sir Creep 7,070]

There have never been any medical advances that allow a 107 year old to now live to 108. None.

If this Buckles character existed then maybe you are right mid-2030s, but I will stick with 2029.

SC

[Paul Bearer 6,099]

 

 

I have seen an estimate of 2027 for when the last US veteran passes, somewhat sooner than the one cited above. For the curious, Frank Buckles was the last surviving World War one US veteran dying at 110 in 2011. No doubt a few of the youngest veterans of the Second War will live to a similar rather outrageous age, although one of the local old gents is declining fairly-rapidly, now. There are perhaps a a handful of others besides him who have retired to this region, although several of those have passed in the last year or so.

I'm ansolutely certain that there will still be vets surviving beyond 2027. The war ended in 1945, so the youngest vets would be born around 1929, and would "only" be 98 at that time., which is younger than several DP candidates.

I may be a bit optimistic, but IMO a reasonable estimate would be 2042-2044. WWI ended 26 years before WWII, and 2011+26=2037, but I think it is reasonable to expect that medical advances and greater number of WWII combatants will add a few years to that.

Ok I already posted about this like 10 months ago. The last WWI vet died I think in 2002, or 84 years after the war ended. Thus the last WWII vet should die around 2029 or so. Given medical breakthroughs maybe add a year but I don't think they've had any breakthroughs for old age so it's prolly moot.

SirC

Henry Allingham died in 2009. He, I think, was the last Brit WW1 vet. I'm sure there were a couple left after he went.