One of Last 2 WWI Vets in US Dies

seattletimes.nwsource.com ^ | February 6, 2008 | MITCH STACY

[lunarbicep]

Harry Richard Landis, who enlisted in the Army in 1918 and was one of only two known surviving U.S. veterans of World War I, has died. He was 108.

Landis, who lived at a Sun City Center nursing home, died Monday, according to Donna Riley, his caregiver for the past five years. He had recently been in the hospital with a fever and low blood pressure, she said.

"He only took vitamins and eye drops, no other medication," Riley said Wednesday. "He was 108 and a healthy man. That's why all of this was sudden and unexpected. He was so full of life."

The remaining U.S. veteran is Frank Buckles, 107, of Charles Town, W.Va., according the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. In addition, John Babcock of Spokane, Wash., 107, served in the Canadian army and is the last known Canadian veteran of the war.

Another World War I vet, Ohioan J. Russell Coffey, died in December at 109. The last known German World War I veteran, Erich Kaestner, died New Year's Day at 107.

[HawaiianGecko]

Must be cool to live in three centuries.  I doubt I'll make it to 150 to match him.

[oblomov]

Now there was a completely pointless war, unless you are a fan of Democratic world-saving. Oh, I forgot- the German Huns were eating Belgian babies and we had to stop them. And there were too many Beethoven concerts in the US and the beer was inappropriately strong.

[Joe 6-pack]

Woodrow Wilson did far more damage to the United States than many historians are willing to acknowledge.

[ElkGroveDan]

He was 108 and a healthy man. That's why all of this was sudden and unexpected.

Ok that's just plain funny.

[SF Republican]

Must be cool to live in three centuries. I doubt I'll make it to 150 to match him. - on the other hand you have lived in two millennium.

[oblomov]

WILSON IN HELL

Roosevelt died and met Wilson; who said “I
blundered into it
Through honest error, and conscience cut me so deep that
I died
In the vain effort to prevent future wars. But you
Blew on the coal-bed, and when it kindled you deliberately
Sabotaged every fire-wall that even the men who denied
My hope had built. You have too much murder on your
hands. I will not
Speak of the lies and connivings. I cannot understand the
Mercy
That permits us to meet in the same heaven. —Or is this
my hell?”

- Robinson Jeffers

[henkster]

Wilson bungled us into a war we didn’t need to be part of, then bungled a peace that all but guaranteed a far worse war. What a loser.

[Joe 6-pack]

I never really liked Wilson, the 17th Amendment or any number of other things that transpired duiring his administration. I recently finished Jonah Goldberg's new book, "Liberal Fascism," and it has strongly reinforced my dislike for him and resoundingly illustrated the totalitarian seeds he planted in the American political consciousness.

[spanalot]

hah!!!

[sjm_888]

Like, we didn’t see that coming...

[PurpleMan]

“He had recently been in the hospital with a fever and low blood pressure.”

Great care. It got lower — zero.

[Twinkie]

Thanks for posting this. We need to remember the veterans.

[Billthedrill]

He was 108 and a healthy man. That's why all of this was sudden and unexpected.

Have they ruled out homicide?

[fieldmarshaldj]

RIP.

[Broker]

The final passing of these WW1 veterans is a meaningfull milestone in life. It was about 1960 or so, when the last surviving veteran of the War Between the States (Civil War)checked out. WW1 Vets were granddaddies and WW2 & Korean vets were just Dads. My generation went to Viet Nam. Now we’re the Granddaddys or soon will be.

May God give comfort as they cross the bar.