The Last Great War Veteran

Why not all the remaining Veterans of WW1? I find it disturbing, to say the least, that only one of these men would be given this honour. Are we, as a Nation, so cheap that we can only honour the last man standing? We had no problem sending them to war.

From reading the post it would seem that only one of the vets is a resident of Canada now.

Now that's a petition I can get behind.

In 1997, my great-great uncle (a seargent during the Great War) passed away just short of his 102nd birthday. He an amazing man. Not only did he live longer than average - but, to his dying day, he had a mind and memory as clear as anyone's. He was at Ypres (battles 2 and 3), Paschendale, The Somme, and of course, Vimy Ridge (I am sure that I forgot at least one important one there).

As a teenager, I would sit at his feet and listen to him recount stories that were both amazing and, at times, a little gruesome. The two things that amazed me the most were his memory of details (such as how many feet distant it was from one foxhole to another) and how he didn't mind talking about the things he had seen (and the people he had killed).

He would talk about all of these things the same way you would expect someone to carry on with a "Yesterday, a funny thing happened on the way to the store" kind of demeanor. In 1916, he was wounded when a shell exploded next to him and he took shrapnel in his leg - he carried that metal in his leg for the rest of his days. They sent him to Oxford (which had been largely converted to a hospital for the war) to recuperate, then sent him back into the grinder. He would often smirk and refer to those weeks as "my time at Oxford."

The steadfast belief in the "call to duty." The stoic manner in which they did what they did and asked nothing of society in return. I am 100% sure that the world will never see the likes of these people again. By all means: a state funeral for the last of them is appropriate.

And BTW, George: I think that just honoring the last of them is sufficient. I think that that goes right in line with the kind of people they were. I don't think that any of them would want people "to make a fuss" over each of them. A final symbolic salute is good enough for people who never sought glory in the first place.

The Great War and the soldiers that fought there? I thought Canada's history started in the 60's with our glorious "peace keeping missions".The missions that didnt need soldiers to bear arms,fight,or be in harms way. Those other wars were all the fault of the Americans anyway just like the ones now.The Germans and Japanese couldnt be blamed for excercising their influence in their area of the world.

Thanks for the link Kate.
It is a great idea.
I have signed up and forwarded the link to all my contacts.
They fought for our freedom then!
They fight for our freedom today!

The Institute's petition may be well-intentioned, but is ghoulish and in poor taste.

It's "ghoulish" to discuss the funeral plans of a 106 year old?

LOL

Seriously, when are they supposed to launch the idea - after they're all dead?

Joan, the only thing in poor taste is your comment suggesting that honouring the last veteran of the Great War is "ghoulish". Get a grip.

what does anyone know about this individual? does he deserve a state funeral? maybe he's a right nasty bugger...

Knock it off, Jeff. Sheesh!

I will agree that it would be "ghoulish" if a big anouncement were made, the three were then paraded in front of the cameras as if the state funeral were made to seem like it was some sort of lottery, and then the media started keeping a death watch/countdown. We all know that this is not beyond the Canadian MSM. And when the first two die, it would be morbidly grotesque to start clamouring for interviews of the sole remaining survivor asking them, "How does it feel to know your body will lie in state?" But, they don't do those kinds of things for living PM's and GG's - so, one would hope they wouldn't do such things in this case.

But, if it is handled right...if the government (as discretely as possible) essentially says, "This is the way it will be." And if the hullabaloo is put on hold until after the last one passes - then this can be done right and with dignity.

Essentially it's up to us, as a society, to do the right thing and to do it in the right manner.

People who would protest and make a negative stink about it just to get their faces on TV would have to be ignored.

To pull it off and pull it off correctly would help to restore at least a little bit of my faith in this country's sense of decency.

Jeff:

I hope he WAS a right nasty bugger! Pansies don't fight in wars, nasty buggers do.

And Joan, I consider your comments to be insulting to all the brave men and women that went before us.

Jeff. You wonder if the last man standing deserves a state funeral but I suppose you feel that Peter Idiot Truedeau "one of the fathers of the distruction of Canada Charter" desreved one. Get stuffed.

Is anyone considering the wishes of the veterans and their families? Perhaps they want a private service or no service.

Jack:

Read carefully. The post says,

"The Dominion Institute is calling on Primer Minister Stephen Harper to offer the family of the last Great War veteran resident in Canada a full State Funeral."

Did you catch that? The proposal is that it will be offered. Of course the family's wishes must be taken into account.

Bryceman has said it right: That it is an offer & would be entirely up to the family.

One thing that i do feel though, is that I think the Dominion Institute should discuss such ideas with the RC Legion & other Veteran's groups for there input before starting such petitions.

they were all 16 when they enlisted. a war like that would have you grow up nasty.

I always appreciate that those generations appeared to be made of the the right stuff.

I'm a Yank, so it wouldn't be proper for me to sign the petition. However, I note that Canada rightly gave Mr. Smokey Smith, Canada's last Victoria Cross recipient, a State Funeral last year. It would seem a totally appropriate and dignified remembrance for Canada to offer a State Funeral to the last World War One veteran.

A quote from a famous American general to his troops at the end of a war would be very applicable to Canada's last World War One veteran: "You take with you the satisfaction that proceeds from the consciousness of duty faithfully performed."

I'm a Yank, so it wouldn't be proper for me to sign the petition. However, I note that Canada rightly gave Mr. Smokey Smith, Canada's last Victoria Cross recipient, a State Funeral last year. It would seem a totally appropriate and dignified remembrance for Canada to offer a State Funeral to the last World War One veteran.

A quote from a famous American general to his troops at the end of a war would be very applicable to Canada's last World War One veteran: "You take with you the satisfaction that proceeds from the consciousness of duty faithfully performed."

good ole' jeff is mclellan's spiritual little brother, these comments are typical. for him, a day without pissin' in somebody's cornflakes, is like a day without sunshine. if he wants to side with taliban jack and turn the military into a social club, or a tourist attraction that is his right. of course, it's my right to label him a shallow simpleton as well.

this state funeral would be a patriotic gesture, whichever of these three men it was, would be largely symbolic. what it would also do is say to our troops in afghanistan, "we value your work, we value your sacrifice".

Just listened to the PMs speech giving the history of canadas role in the world wars. I do hope all those chickensh-- peace protesters listened. 16000 out of 20000 killed during one battle. We have lost 50 in Afgan, and altho that is sad, it is nothing compared to what went before. How many were killed last wkend across canada by car accidents, murder, avalanches etc.
Yes, a state funerel for the last vetern would be very fitting, as it would give all cdns a chance to say thank you and God Bless. Taliban jack and his peace protestors forbidden to attend.

Just signed - saw Rick Mercer's name a couple of dozen lines below mine. Interesting.

The first world war was a slaughter. Millions died for the imperial ambitions of the various countries involved. I would support a day of mourning and reflection. But it's nothing to celebrate.

I know that most of the soldiers - on both sides - thought they were dying for something noble. I honour their courage and idealism while regretting that their lives were cut short for such a cause.

(And no, I am not saying they were stupid. You don't have to be stupid to accept the dominant ideology. Even geniuses usually do!)

"Just signed - saw Rick Mercer's name a couple of dozen lines below mine. Interesting."

He's a military groupie. I'm not surprised at all.

"One thing that i do feel though, is that I think the Dominion Institute should discuss such ideas with the RC Legion & other Veteran's groups for there input before starting such petitions."

Does anyone know where these groups stand on the idea?

Hi there, would like to add that if the following PMs Chietchen, Paul, Kim, Brian, Joe and Pierre as well as the last two GGs are buried with national state status these three vets should be so included {if agreeable to them}. These WW1 vets never stole money from the programs that were to help Canada as a Nation. All these people did was fight for Canada and what was the belief at that time. They never retired with scads of money that they stole from Canadians and then asked the Canadians to pay for there Lawyers and then appoint the judges for a fair trial. I really think the PMs above mentioned, {except Pierre} and only because I would not want anybody to dig up that Idiots grave, should give up their place for these three WW1 vets left. Thaks Merle Underwood.

Actually, Exile, they knew what they were fighting for and felt it had to be done. Do a bit more reading. There are hundreds of letters preserved that were written home from the front so there is no excuse for being ill-informed about them. They were volunteers, you idiot - oops, sorry, I hate name-calling.

From the Prime Minister's Web Site (http://www.pm.gc.ca/)

Prime Minister [Stephen Harper] pays tribute to Canada’s fallen soldiers at launch of Remembrance Week

November 6, 2006
Ottawa, Ontario

Extract:

One such story is that of Private James Teskey.

Born and raised in Deloraine, Manitoba, and Okotoks, Alberta, he was just 17 when he volunteered to fight for king and country.

Wearing his uniform, and a proud smile, he left his family behind on the farm, shipped across the Atlantic, trained for weeks in England,

And then found himself surrounded by death and destruction in the bloodiest war the world had ever known.

After 34 days of horrific trench warfare at the Battle of Arras in June 1917, that war consumed him too.

He was not yet 19 years old.

I know his story because James Teskey would become my wife’s great-uncle.

This summer Laureen and I visited his grave in northern France.

Seeing the cross with his name on it for the first time brought the family stories of her childhood to life,

And almost a century later his sacrifice still moved his grand-niece to tears.

Because we are Canadians. We remember.

We remember that the Dominion of Canada was barely 50 years old when nearly 100,000 of her 8 million citizens fought the famous Battle of Vimy Ridge.

On Vimy Ridge, the Canadians succeeded where others had failed.

It was the most imported Allied victory at that point in the war. But for Canada, it was much more.

That day marked the beginning of a new era for our country.

Brigadier-General Alexander Ross, commander of one of the brigades that stormed the Ridge, put it best:

“It was Canada from the Atlantic to the Pacific on parade,” he said. “I thought then that in those few minutes I witnessed the birth of a nation.”

Six months later, Allied commanders called on the Canadians again, this time to break the stalemate at Ypres.

Twenty thousand soldiers fought in the neutral zone and captured the Village of Passchendaele.

The price paid was extremely high – 16,000 fallen, including the great Canadian patriot from Quebec, Talbot Papineau.

Papineau, a brilliant lawyer and orator - whom many expected to one day become prime minister - was one of Canada’s most eloquent champions of the cause.

In defence of Canada's participation in the First War, he wrote:

"It is true that Canada has not heard the roar of German guns, nor been struck by deadly zeppelins,

But every shot fired against Belgium or France was aimed at much as Canada's heart as at the bodies of our brave allies."
...-

Just imagine when they started out they saw the airplane going froma just a ovservation platform to a weapon of war

How about the other side. Those guys are vets too, not the kind we like mind you, just crusty, bitter old krauts that have no pride in their stories if they admit to it at all.

Ken, i wouldn't say that...i have family members that fought in both world wars (Canadians and Germans..) as do some others who post here.They have pride in their soldierly accomplishments..many won their nations bravery awards and performed honourably..some may be bitter at the betrayal of their ideals, or at defeat, however they could not be for long, they had a country to rebuild and families to raise..

There is no shame in fighting for your country..only history decides how events are viewed and interpreted, the average landsers concerns were considerably more narrowly defined to just fighting to survive..

I signed the petition Kate. Thanks for the link.
I grew up in the beautiful Cypress Hills - and I knew a number of WWII vets. One of those men did not have legs - my Grandad told us kids that he (the WWI soldier) had stepped on a land mine and his legs had been blown off. Grandad told us kids never to mention the war around that old soldier - we never did but that old soldier used to let us ride around on the three wheeled sled that he propelled himself around on. I have often wondered what he thought when we used his property. Maybe he thought he might have liked something like that to ride around on when he was a kid, maybe he just wanted to be a part of life...the old soldier worked for the shoemaker who was an emigree from Russia. The shoemaker, my Grandad and the old soldier met every other day for cigarettees and coffee - they smoked right in the shop ...in Canada...in one of our towns...a soldier without legs, an old cowboy, and a Russian Aristocrat. I miss the colorful people I used to know - today, I would give my eye teeth to be part of one of those conversations...imagine the stories they had to tell.
I knew a shell shocked soldier who lived on his homestead with about 80 cats. He dressed up in his full uniform every Rememberence day and drove to town to march in the parade. That was the only event he attended all year. He died alone one winter and his cats ate his shoes. My Dad said they probably did not eat Mr. White because the old fellow ate so much garlic.
My cousin's Grandad did not have any hair - mustard gas - he smoked big cigars and drank scotch whiskey and told us wild stories about the war -about when he was on leave - we never heard about the trenches. If his conversation ever drifted near the trenches he would beller at us kids to 'clear out' because he was crying.
There was not one of these men that asked for pity or gratitude but they went to Rememberence Day every Nov. 11 and I saw the tears in their eyes and their pride. What a wonderful heritage for people like us...we must never forget them..our soldiers in Afganistan have 'picked up the torch, to hold it high'...they have not betrayed those who died...the people who chose not to or who don't know anything about WWI need to be educated...the Liberano$ education never included Canadian Soldier heros..I know why Treadea didn't want war heros mentioned...but why did We, the people, not teach our children that history? It is never too late, this idea is a start.

Hold on there Ken Melrose,

You really can not knock teenaged Germans who heed the call for their country.

Hindsight is 20/20, but in the heat of the moment the boys who get involved in the whirlwind of training and travel for war are innocent, be they American, German or even the brainwashed youth of today*s Hezbollah.

There were a great number of decent Germans who were caught up and did not realize until later that their cause was evil.

Any subversive protest would collect a bullet to the temple so that was a very severe catch-22, er, catch-9mm.

My point is made by the fact that when most opposing war horses meet they share a mutual respect and become friends.

It is the power brokers, over achievers, and their suck-up appointees who are the real criminals of this world.

Currently, the winner is delusions of grandeur, *Madmud Ahmadinejad* and his Mullusks.

For a Conservative majority = TG

Ken Melrose

"How about the other side. Those guys are vets too, not the kind we like mind you, just crusty, bitter old krauts that have no pride in their stories if they admit to it at all."

It's a real shame that some person needs to put a comment like that on this thread.

WWI history buffs will find this interesting:
timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2099-2381797.html

yep. their coming in about 2 or 3 a minute now and that pace will only pick up as 11/11 approaches and word spreads.

thank YOU dear Kate.

also my very best friend from before grade school, has an uncle on the young side of the bell curve.

because he signed up at the age of 15 after fibbing and ended up contributing to the victory in italy.

all he ever said about it after was how cold it was.

watch the war amps production on this campaign.

maryT got me thinking; not only does Canada have a flawless record of winning every war we get involved in (because we only get involved for the right reasons), but it appears that we are getting better at it.

hug a veteran on 11/11 !!!

(at least tell her/him thank you !!!)

I was number 8,866.

Back in WW I they called them HUNS and there a episode of the old 60s TV series COMBAT with EDDIE ALBERT as a WW I dough boy who thinks its still WW I

Hello all,

Thanks for your support. We currently have 16,000+ signatures and are hoping for 50,000 by Saturday. So keep spreading the word!

In response to a couple posts above regarding the view of the Royal Canadian Legion and other veterans groups: This initiative is a direct result of veterans who overwhelmingly supported a State Funeral in honour of all Great War veterans. The Dominion Institute runs a program called The Memory Project which connects vets from WWII, Korea, and NATO with children in classrooms, seniors' homes, Scouts, Girl Guides, media outlets, etc. In doing so, we are in constant contact with veterans who continuously portray their support for the State Funeral. The RC Legion's official line is that they support the "idea" of a State Funeral among others. So really they are saying that they don't dislike the idea. They have to be careful because Veteran's Affairs Canada has not come out in favour of this initiative, yet.

The response to this, in the media, on the street, and in threads like this one, has been truly amazing. We thank everyone who has signed the petition and are glad to see the debate it has sparked.

In the years following the Great War, Canadians made a promise to never forget. Let us honour this promise now by convincing Stephen Harper to
hold a full state funeral for the last Great War veteran, who will represent all Great War veterans who have gone before him.

Ben Ellis
Memory Project Coordinator
The Dominion Institute

Considering the Conservatives vote against veterans today, it's likely they'd hope one of the Great War vets passes on so they can offere a state funeral to try and save face.