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Frank Buckles Quotes

Frank Woodruff Buckles was a United States Army corporal and the last surviving American military veteran of World War I. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1917 at the age of 16 and served with a detachment from Fort Riley, driving ambulances and motorcycles near the front lines in Europe.

During World War II, just one month before his 41st birthday, he was captured by Japanese forces while working in the shipping business, and spent three years in the Philippines as a civilian prisoner. After the war, Buckles married in San Francisco and moved to Gap View Farm near Charles Town, West Virginia. A widower at age 98, he worked on his farm until the age of 105.

In his last years, he was Honorary Chairman of the World War I Memorial Foundation. As chairman, he advocated the establishment of a World War I memorial similar to other war memorials in Washington, D.C.. Toward this end, Buckles campaigned for the District of Columbia War Memorial to be renamed the National World War I Memorial. He testified before Congress in support of this cause, and met with President George W. Bush at the White House.

Buckles was awarded the World War I Victory Medal at the conclusion of that conflict, and the Army of Occupation of Germany Medal retroactively following the medal's creation in 1941, as well as the French Legion of Honor in 1999. His funeral was on March 15, 2011, at Arlington National Cemetery, with President Barack Obama paying his respects prior to the ceremony with full military honors.



Wikipedia  

✵ 1. February 1901 – 27. February 2011
Frank Buckles photo
Frank Buckles: 15 quotes0 likes

Famous Frank Buckles Quotes

“Longevity has never bothered me at all, I have studied longevity for years.”

Frank Buckles

On his long life.
Knoxville News.

“I didn't lie; nobody calls me a liar, I may have increased my age.”

Frank Buckles

Joking on joining the Army at age 15.
CNN March 8, 2008.

“Why should I read something someone made up when real events are so interesting?”

Frank Buckles

On why he does not read fiction books.
Tampa Bay Online.

“I think General Pershing was the most military figure I’ve ever seen.”

Frank Buckles

On meeting General John Pershing
Kansascity.com.

“I was gung-ho, no question about that.”

Frank Buckles

On his role in the war
kansascity.com.

“If your country needs you, you should be right there, that is the way I felt when I was young, and that's the way I feel today.”

Frank Buckles

On service in the U.S. Army, as quoted in The Knoxville News.

Frank Buckles Quotes

“In the Philippines in those last months, it was perfect starvation. They had planned to starve us to death.”

Frank Buckles

On treatment in Japanese prison camps
Knoxville News.

“I had many different assignments and I was doing things that I thought were important… no, I didn't either: I didn't think they were important. But I found out afterwards when I read up on my history that some of the things that I did were quite important.”

Frank Buckles

Tampa Bay Online.

“I gave the general a snappy salute.”

Frank Buckles

On meeting General John Pershing
Knoxville News.

“An old sergeant said, if you want to get to France in a hurry, then join the ambulance service, the French are big for ambulance service.”

Frank Buckles

On how he came to driving ambulances, as quoted in The Tampa Bay Online.

“Some of our German passengers on the ship would be crying. The Brits were the same way. They were crying, because they realized a new war was about to break out across Europe, with Hitler at the head of the goose-stepping parade.”

Frank Buckles

Problems prior to WWII.
Knoxville News.

“I don't know anyone my age.”

Frank Buckles

On his age
Knoxville News.

“One day, I came in and she was on the telephone. She was quite pale. She told me that I wouldn't believe what was going on. She was being watched. She said she would not be able to invite me for tea again. She was a nice Jewish lady.”

Frank Buckles

On his travels to Nazi Germany in the 1930's.
Knoxville News.

“My job driving the ambulance was not very severe, you did what you were supposed to do. That was my main job.”

Frank Buckles

On his Job in WWI
kansascity.com.

“Secret to a long life. When you start to die, don’t.”

Frank Buckles

New York Times
Gail Collins, Op-Ed
August 14, 2009.

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