By The Way...

Friday, November 11, 2005
9:54:00 AM EST
Hearing Wouldn't it Be Nice -- The Beach Boys
For those who might not know, the reason Veterans Day is on November 11 is because that is the date on which World War I came to an end, through the signing of the armistice between Germany and the countries which opposed it. These days, surviving veterans of World War I -- centarians all -- are few and far between: it's estimated that fewer than 50 are still alive in all of the United States. This article features one of them, and talks about the end of an era, which will close definitively when the last of the World War I vets passes on.


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This entry has 3 comments: (Add your own)

• #3 Comment from mavarin 
  11/11/05 10:00 PM | Permalink

  This is so strange to me.  When I was a kid, there was always a car or two of WWI vets in the Memorial Day parade in Manlius, and it was still theoretically possible for someone to have been alive at the time of the Civil War.  Now, even the "Greatest Generation" is fading fast.  When did I get old?
  
  Karen
• #2 Comment from jmilb10053 
  11/11/05 5:59 PM | Permalink

  On the 11 hour of the 11 day of the 11 month they ended the War to end all wars.  We still have not figured out how to not start the next one.
• #1 Comment from lurkynat 
  11/11/05 3:39 PM | Permalink

  Dear John,
  Thank you for honoring these men and featuring one of these great veterans. World War I is a confusing war for me and many suffered. his aprticular veteran apparently spent alot of time in a submarine. hugs, nat