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World War II Veterans

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The National Portrait Gallery shared this fantastic photo of John Hemingway, last of The Few. It's dated this year, so he's at least still capable of getting dressed up and showing himself to the public.

Screenshot_20240916_102446_Instagram.jpg

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Tserengiin Chemetseren is the last living participant of the fighting on Khalkhin-Gol (1939). The 99-year-old veteran lives in Mongolia.

tass.rutass.ruasiarussia.ru

 

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On 20/03/2024 at 02:56, alt obits guy said:

Dick Higgins, a Navy radioman and one of the few remaining Pearl Harbor survivors, has died. He was 102. Higgins' amphibious plane was destroyed in the attack.

 

With Higgins’ death, only 22 veterans of the attack are known to be living, according to Kathleen Farley, the California chapter president with Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors, who has maintained the tally for years.

Now "fewer than 20" according to that article, after the death of veteran Elmer Calvin Smith, recipient of Bronze Star, at age 101.

 

Although it also says that "the exact number [of survivors] is unknown".

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On 27/03/2024 at 07:22, The Immortal said:

There are only 4 survivors of the 100th Bomb Group of the U.S 8th Air Force (unit featured in the TV series Masters Of The Air).

 

John "Lucky" Luckadoo (pilot in the 350th and 351st Bomb Squadrons)

James R. Rasmussen (navigator in the 349th Bomb Squadron)

Henry "Hank" Cervantes (pilot in the 349th Squadron)

Robert Wolff (served in the 418th Bombardment Squadron, was prisoner of war)

Now 3 survivors, as Cervantes died on 7 April aged 100.

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Igor Grebtsov (101) was a Soviet and Russian journalist and poet. Wikipedia writes that he was the last war frontline correspondent of the Great Patriotic War.

sch56.mskobr.ruru.wiki

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Viktor Kuzin (1926-2024) - Honorary Citizen of Perm (Pre-Urals), Honorary Artist of the Russian Federation, began his studies as a glassblower, but had to retrain as a gunner of a self-propelled artillery unit. 

Victor Kuzin is widely known for his domestic sketches and landscape watercolours, and is also one of the founders of the Perm Watercolour School. 

Photo: Viktor Kuzin against the background of his painting "Crucified Russia" created in 1992.

properm.ruru.wiki
 

0b05e2d797504e96a9f9b2372022a0e1.jpg

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Tadeusz Lutak alias "Pancerz" (born August 29, 1917 in Żarnowa) - captain of the Polish Army, soldier of the independence conspiracy during World War II. The oldest currently living man in Poland.

pl.wikirzeszow.tvp.plnowiny24.plpolska-zbrojna.pl

 

images (1).jpeg

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On 27/03/2024 at 07:22, The Immortal said:

There are only 4 survivors of the 100th Bomb Group of the U.S 8th Air Force (unit featured in the TV series Masters Of The Air).

 

John "Lucky" Luckadoo (pilot in the 350th and 351st Bomb Squadrons)

James R. Rasmussen (navigator in the 349th Bomb Squadron)

Henry "Hank" Cervantes (pilot in the 349th Squadron)

Robert Wolff (served in the 418th Bombardment Squadron, was prisoner of war)

Robert Wolff has died aged 103.

 

Luckadoo and Rasmussen may not be the last 2 survivors, as since your post in March, 2 deaths of 100th Bomb Group veterans that weren’t on your list have been reported :

John Alden Clark died aged 101 on 14th July.

Joe R Urice died aged 100 on 26th August.

 

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Osadchuk Ivan Nikolayevich

18.07.1916 - 4.10.2024

Military paramedic, lieutenant colonel of the reserve.

 

gorduma-voronezh.ru

 

 

e4d1b6bcc54a1697f96344cac5ca29b2_o.jpg

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12 minutes ago, chel said:

Osadchuk Ivan Nikolayevich

18.07.1916 - 4.10.2024

Military paramedic, lieutenant colonel of the reserve.

 

gorduma-voronezh.ru

 

 

e4d1b6bcc54a1697f96344cac5ca29b2_o.jpg


Dude looks AI.

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3 minutes ago, maryportfuncity said:

Nobel Prize for atomic bomb survivors of Japan

 

Does that change anything in the debate about whether it was the right thing to do? Askin' for a mate, like!

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy5y23qgx0qo

Reminds me of the Obama Nobel Prize. When the committee doesn't know what to do, they give it to anti-nuclear bomb people.

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6 minutes ago, gcreptile said:

Reminds me of the Obama Nobel Prize. When the committee doesn't know what to do, they give it to anti-nuclear bomb people.

 

 

Oh, right...so that lot near me who stand out in the rain with leaflets are just waiting for another quiet year, then

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5 hours ago, gcreptile said:

Reminds me of the Obama Nobel Prize. When the committee doesn't know what to do, they give it to anti-nuclear bomb people.

Obama got it because he wasn't Bush essentially, he wasn't anything close to anti nuclear in office.

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35 minutes ago, Comped said:

Obama got it because he wasn't Bush essentially, he wasn't anything close to anti nuclear in office.

"The Committee has attached special importance to Obama’s vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons."

https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2009/press-release/

 

He had given a speech in Berlin before that and such. The prize also came at the very beginning of his administration. 

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3 hours ago, gcreptile said:

"The Committee has attached special importance to Obama’s vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons."

https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2009/press-release/

 

He had given a speech in Berlin before that and such. The prize also came at the very beginning of his administration. 

Well I just learned something... It was portrayed in the media that he got it because he was the first black leader of a major Western country, and perhaps even more so that he wasn't Bush, rather than his policies. I remember him getting it and almost no one said he should have.

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On 17/05/2023 at 09:25, The Immortal said:

Another notable fast dwindling group to watch out for. The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion also known as Six Triple Eight, the only all-black women's unit sent overseas during the war.

 

There's only 6 known surviving members.

 

Anna Mae Robertson (99) - Looked terrible in recent public appearance.

 

Romay Davis (103) - The oldest survivor, but seemingly the healthiest of the lot.

 

Crescencia Garcia (103) - Total immortal. Was hospitalized several times as far as I know, was in critical condition in the ICU with Covid when she was 100 but miraculously recovered, still very looking very much skeletal.

 

Lena King (100) - Confirmed alive on her 100th birthday this year, but no public news since 2022.

 

Fran McClendon (101/102) - Looked decent for her age in last known public appearance but no news in a while

 

Gladys Blount (100) - Very frail physically, but still alert and sharp.

 

Only Anna Mae Robertson (100), is alive from your list

https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/trailblazing-wwii-vet-celebrates-100th-birthday-with-family-milwaukee-mayor

 

Romay and Crescencia are already covered in the forum

 

Lena King dead at 100 on January 2024

Gladys Blount dead at 102 on June 2024

 

No idea for Fran, is she still with us? Any birth info or residence?

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2 hours ago, Gisooo said:

No idea for Fran, is she still with us? Any birth info or residence?

Fran McCeldon was still alive in September. On 4 September she was announced as guest on a senior awards ceremony in Phoenix.

The event took place on 19 September, and I think it’s her on that picture at the bottom right.

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On 16/08/2024 at 19:35, arghton said:
On 02/10/2023 at 20:52, arghton said:

John Kinsel and Thomas Begay at a Navajo Code Talker event a month ago:

kinsel.png.245b300856bcab3df7bd3193a950d415.png

Kinsel (who might actually be "only" 102) is extremely frail and apparently it was a miracle he was well enough to attend even though it was held very near his home as he's been almost completely bedbound and in a near-death state for months. Begay looks well and is healthy enough to regularly attend events so I assume he'll be the last survivor. Peter MacDonald didn't attend.

Images from the Navajo Code Talkers Day, held on Wednesday. Peter MacDonald and John Kinsel somehow healthy enough to attend, neither look as bad as I thought they'd and apparently it's Thomas Begay who's in poor health now.

John Kinsel reportedly dead aged 107 (?): https://eu.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2024/10/19/one-of-the-last-remaining-navajo-code-talkers-john-kinsel-dies-at-107-in-arizona/75757722007/

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On 23/08/2024 at 12:22, drol said:

Madeleine Riffaud turns 100 today. She looked very frail last year.

Madeleine-Riffaud-23082024-01.jpg

Madeleine Riffaud Dead. Was a sure pick for our common french deathlist, sad, a wonderful woman 

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On 09/12/2022 at 12:52, arghton said:

Those numbers are quite interesting.

 

The total may be fewer than 400,000 worldwide.

 

New Zealand had under 400 in 2020, including Sir Bom Gillies, last Māori Battalion veteran. Probably much less now.

Sir Bom Gillies,  last surviving member of the Māori Battalion, dead at 99: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/rotorua-daily-post/news/sir-robert-bom-gillies-the-last-28th-maori-battalion-soldier-from-rotorua-dies-age-99/EFZJ5XYR3BATLESLH2NTGXBQTM/

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On 08/12/2023 at 09:00, The Immortal said:

 Pearl Harbor

 

Not counting the anonymous survivor who missed the ceremonies, here are the remaining survivors :

 

Ike Schab (103)

Freeman Johnson (103)

Bill Monfort (106)

Harry Chandler (102)

Ken Stevens (102)

Two Pearl Harbor veterans died at 101 years old on 3 November Charles Theodore Sehe and Edward Stone.

 

I also found three alive veterans that aren’t on your list :

Isaac George (103)

Warren Upton (105)

Geb Galle (103)

Edited by Sinbabad
Found another alive veteran
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14 hours ago, Sinbabad said:

Two Pearl Harbor veterans died at 101 years old on 3 November Charles Theodore Sehe and Edward Stone.

 

I also found three alive veterans that aren’t on your list :

Isaac George (103)

Warren Upton (105)

Geb Galle (103)

 

Warren Upton's October article claims 18 living survivors, assuming the two who've died on 3 November were counted on that list it would mean 16 claimed left which seems like a realistic number to me. Hoping once we get to a low enough number (maybe 10-12) we'll get a proper documented list with names in the media, just like we had with The Few or the Merrill's Marauders.

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