Those Farkers were tough SOBs.

Fare thee well, good sir!!!

When I think of all the crap that people like this guy went through, it makes me realize just how much people of today suck.

R.I.P. :(

"His most vivid memory of the war was of encountering a comrade whose torso had been ripped open by shrapnel. "Shoot me," Patch recalled the soldier pleading.

The man died before Patch could draw his revolver.

"I was with him for the last 60 seconds of his life. He gasped one word - 'Mother.' That one word has run through my brain for 88 years. I will never forget it.""

/got nuthin'

That war destroyed the cream of European manhood. It has taken four generations to recover, with of course that little hiccup between '39 and '45.

It took a special kind of courage to go "over the top".

All respect to the last of these brave men.

Stainless steel balls last seen rolling down the hallway....

The finest have fallen. God bless them. There is but one now.

Not a hero, he was just doing what he signed up for.

I never understood this about getting old, your ears grow to half the size of your head.

Patch did not speak about his war experiences until he was 100. Once he did, he was adamant that the slaughter he witnessed had not been justified.

Chickenhawks.
My lawn.\

OFF! NOW!

eraser8: dead_dangler: When I think of all the crap that people like this guy went through, it makes me realize just how much people of today suck.

Oh, please. People have always sucked. And they always will suck.

I hate people.

They've sucked, but not nearly to today's levels.

Trying reading through the Robert W Service accounts of WWI which he wrote down as poetry.
This is the last stanza of Bill the Bomber....

Then these Boches, wot was left of 'em, they tumbled down their 'ole,
And up I climbed a mound of dead, and down on them I stole.
And oh that blessed moment when I heard their frightened yell,
And I laughed down in that dug-out, ere I bombed their souls to hell.
And now I'm in the hospital, surprised that I'm alive;
We started out a thousand men, we came back thirty-five.
And I'm minus of a trotter, but I'm most amazin' gay,
For me bombs they wasn't wasted, though, you might say, "thrown away".

Is this like a weekly occurance now?

And THIS:


eraser8: dead_dangler: When I think of all the crap that people like this guy went through, it makes me realize just how much people of today suck.

Oh, please. People have always sucked. And they always will suck.

I hate people.

People suck, BIGTIME.

Your watch is ended, good sir...we'll take over from here.

Godspeed.

kb7rky: Your watch is ended, good sir...we'll take over from here.

Godspeed.

Nice. Seriously.

Came in here to say "Frank Buckles".

Chad Farthouse: kb7rky: Your watch is ended, good sir...we'll take over from here.

Godspeed.

Nice. Seriously.

I thought it was appropriate...it's hotlinked, so save it while you can.

WW I Museum in Kansas City is awesome. If any of you ever get a chance to visit KC I highly recommend it. RIP soldier.

Why don't we just have a "military" tag and be done with it? Does "military" always == HERO? What's next?

Army vet takes a dump at the Giants game

Ex-Marine in Tuscon announces he quit smoking

Studies show soldiers play video games when not on duty

stiletto_the_wise: Why don't we just have a "military" tag and be done with it? Does "military" always == HERO? What's next?

WWI vets are a little more deserving of the HERO tag than the veterans of our current wars. These days, every other soldier that has seen combat has PTSD, and receives medication and counseling to talk about their wittle hurt feewings, thus getting out of any further action. If a WWI soldier ever got "shell shock" he was just slapped across the face and told to snap out of it. And over the top of the trench he went once more.

/they don't make em like they used to.

stiletto_the_wise: Why don't we just have a "military" tag and be done with it? Does "military" always == HERO? What's next?

Army vet takes a dump at the Giants game

Ex-Marine in Tuscon announces he quit smoking

Studies show soldiers play video games when not on duty

I know I shouldn't feed the troll, but here goes:

And yet, here you are, whining about it.

How about you go down to the local veterans' home and tell them they're not heroes, because you were offended by your perceived misuse of a picture on an electronic news forum?

Better yet, how about you tell the men and women returning from Iraq, or Afghanistan, that they aren't heroes?

I'd lay odds you'll have your ass handed to you in the time it takes to blow a fart out your overprotected ass.

stiletto_the_wise: Why don't we just have a "military" tag and be done with it? Does "military" always == HERO? What's next?

I agree that the Hero tag may get a little overused where the military is concerned. However, this man deserved every goddamn pixel of it.

Godspeed, sir.

If anyone ever gets to Kansas City you need to check out the Liberity Memorial WW1 museum.

Gwendolyn: Flying Lasagna Monster: stiletto_the_wise: Why don't we just have a "military" tag and be done with it? Does "military" always == HERO? What's next?

WWI vets are a little more deserving of the HERO tag than the veterans of our current wars. These days, every other soldier that has seen combat has PTSD, and receives medication and counseling to talk about their wittle hurt feewings, thus getting out of any further action. If a WWI soldier ever got "shell shock" he was just slapped across the face and told to snap out of it. And over the top of the trench he went once more.

/they don't make em like they used to.

Or they got shot because they couldn't handle it.

They're encouraged to claim PTSD even if they don't have it because of benefits

I'll agree that sometimes the hero tag is overused, or used in the wrong context, but in this case, I'll give it to stubby. These guys were the real deal, might have been a real dumb war, but they were heroes nonetheless.

I salute you sir!

When I die, I'm gonna say "Bacon".

kb7rky: Better yet, how about you tell the men and women returning from Iraq, or Afghanistan, that they aren't heroes?

I'd lay odds you'll have your ass handed to you in the time it takes to blow a fart out your overprotected ass.

So, they'll show me that might makes right? Heroic indeed.

Only 111? Pfft. That's socialized medicine for you.

Flying Lasagna Monster: stiletto_the_wise: Why don't we just have a "military" tag and be done with it? Does "military" always == HERO? What's next?

WWI vets are a little more deserving of the HERO tag than the veterans of our current wars. These days, every other soldier that has seen combat has PTSD, and receives medication and counseling to talk about their wittle hurt feewings, thus getting out of any further action. If a WWI soldier ever got "shell shock" he was just slapped across the face and told to snap out of it. And over the top of the trench he went once more.

/they don't make em like they used to.

Sir, your douchebag meter has pegged out at 100%....

So will you all stop wearing the paper poppies? Give other symbols a chance to be a patriotic pissing contest.

I'm from Scotland, and every Scottish kid gets a sound grounding in WWI history. Hell, that teaching spawned the band Franz Ferdinand.

One thing stuck with me. A bunch of my year (15 year olds) went to Sanctuary Hill in Belgium, where they have preserved trenches from that war. My class was told to get in a trench, and when a whistle blew, get out and run toward another trench a hundred yards away. Two sixth year chaperones stood in the far trench sweeping their arms back and forth. By the time we all reached the trench, the teacher said "Imagine you were running through mud, blood, bones, explosions, and these two in this trench each were firing a machine gun firing a thousand bullets a minute each. That was World War One!"

That stuck with me. Anyone who survived that was altered, and I won't use the word hero, because Hitler survived it. But if you came out the far side intact and mentally competent, well, I can't begin to honour you highly enough.

r1niceboy: I'm from Scotland, and every Scottish kid gets a sound grounding in WWI history. Hell, that teaching spawned the band Franz Ferdinand.

One thing stuck with me. A bunch of my year (15 year olds) went to Sanctuary Hill in Belgium, where they have preserved trenches from that war. My class was told to get in a trench, and when a whistle blew, get out and run toward another trench a hundred yards away. Two sixth year chaperones stood in the far trench sweeping their arms back and forth. By the time we all reached the trench, the teacher said "Imagine you were running through mud, blood, bones, explosions, and these two in this trench each were firing a machine gun firing a thousand bullets a minute each. That was World War One!"

That stuck with me. Anyone who survived that was altered, and I won't use the word hero, because Hitler survived it. But if you came out the far side intact and mentally competent, well, I can't begin to honour you highly enough.

We took a field trip to an amusement park when I was 15.

THIS IS WHAT IS WRONG WITH AMERICA.

Harry Patch

(how am I the first one to realize this?)

He outlived three wives and both of his sons.

That,being with the man who died in front of him and having a doctor play in his gut without any drugs makes him one of the thoughest SOB I've ever heard of....

Patton would have been proud to lead a man like that...

RIP

Thank you, sir.

/RIP

funmonger: When I die, I'm gonna say "Bacon".

RIP, sir.

This man has more balls than I could ever hope to have. Fare thee well sir.

The biggest face palm on Fark is the assholes who bash people serving in the modern military but call veterans of WWI and WWII heroes. WTF is the difference?

MIguy: The biggest face palm on Fark is the assholes who bash people serving in the modern military but call veterans of WWI and WWII heroes. WTF is the difference?

Tactics

SilentStrider: MIguy: Not a hero, he was just doing what he signed up for.

not quite. he was drafted.

Well that's even worse.

Seems like every god damn month there's a new "Last member of WW1" news article popping up.

Chlorine gas called for one to cover mouth and nose and breath through a urine soaked rag or old sock.. Alternative was to use water but it was not as effective.

The older and staler the urine the more ammonia the better it worked. Or this may be BS I have been told.

We will be honoring the last surviving Gulf War and Operation Freedom vets 90 years from now in much the same way.

But...I've been to Shiloh and Vicksburg to tour the battlefields there and been on the decks of the USS Texas and Alabama. All of these places felt hallowed and of a special nature that I haven't felt anywhere else. Those men left an imprint of themselves behind that remains to this day. I honor them and Mr. Patch for their sacrifice and lost youth.

/military brat for 18 years.
//living on Ground Zero for H-Bombs/SAC bases lends a certain...zest to life.

Thats an 827: Chlorine gas called for one to cover mouth and nose and breath through a urine soaked rag or old sock.. Alternative was to use water but it was not as effective.

The older and staler the urine the more ammonia the better it worked. Or this may be BS I have been told.

It's BS. They had gas masks back then.

MIguy: The biggest face palm on Fark is the assholes who bash people serving in the modern military but call veterans of WWI and WWII heroes. WTF is the difference?

One group consists of pampered pussies with gold-plated benefits that constantly need their ass kissed while picking on third world nations in protracted conflicts that they never actually win. The other group sucked mustard gas while fighting other first-world nations, enjoyed trench foot, got surgery without anesthetic, and most importantly, actually won their war. It's pretty clear cut to me.

lol WWI was so 1914

And with that simple event, WWI passes from living memory to recorded history.

/awestruck

shower_in_my_socks: And I think anyone who puts on a uniform and puts their lives on the line for us is a hero.

I wouldn't exactly say that, but I like to say instead is that everyone who puts on a uniform and serves honorably gets the benefit of the doubt until it's shown that he or she is an arse. Then you're just an arse in a uniform, no different then any other arse out there.

Flying Lasagna Monster: One group consists of pampered pussies with gold-plated benefits that constantly need their ass kissed while picking on third world nations in protracted conflicts that they never actually win. The other group sucked mustard gas while fighting other first-world nations, enjoyed trench foot, got surgery without anesthetic, and most importantly, actually won their war. It's pretty clear cut to me.

Flying Lasagna Monster: One group consists of pampered pussies with gold-plated benefits

"Gold-plated benefits"? WTF? You obviously have never been in the military.

cameroncrazy1984: Thats an 827: Chlorine gas called for one to cover mouth and nose and breath through a urine soaked rag or old sock.. Alternative was to use water but it was not as effective.

The older and staler the urine the more ammonia the better it worked. Or this may be BS I have been told.

It's BS. They had gas masks back then.

The urine soaked rags is true.
Link (new window)

fro123: If anyone ever gets to Kansas City you need to check out the Liberity Memorial WW1 museum.

Jinx! Really though, it is one of the best museums I've ever been in. Link (new window)

Flying Lasagna Monster: One group consists of pampered pussies with gold-plated benefits

A friend of mine in boot camp told me today how he fractured his hip by sprinting in his body armor. He thinks he fractured his leg from other forms of activities as well, and is worried he will have to drop out of his current training class because of it.. His words were that there are too many quitters out there, and he won't be a pussy like that.. Therefore your smug condescending attitude towards those who can actually serve is a bit out of place.

My statement to MIguy was a bit misplaced itself, as i didn't realize he was talking more to douchebags like yourself who think our modern military is some imperialist bully. Sure, they don't experience the certain death that their predecessors faced.. But pound for pound, the soldiers i know are still the most hardcore of individuals you can find. Take your criticism and shove it up your ass ;)

shower_in_my_socks: This notion has lit a fire under me and I'm planning to professionally film a series of interviews with him when I see him again in a couple of months.


Please do. History is lost without the efforts of people like yourself. (not to mention yer gramps)

cameroncrazy1984: Thats an 827: Chlorine gas called for one to cover mouth and nose and breath through a urine soaked rag or old sock.. Alternative was to use water but it was not as effective.

The older and staler the urine the more ammonia the better it worked. Or this may be BS I have been told.

It's BS. They had gas masks back then.

If you can get to them. More advanced masks had charcoal filters that hung down and were worn on the belt (Gasses would rise, so lower to the ground would have higher quality air). They did have masks that people were issued in emergencies that when dampened would allow safe breathing until you could get away. THey looked like Surgeon's Masks and tied on. If caught with nothing, a piece of cloth could be used. Since chlorine gas is water soluble, these temporary and improvised masks only needed water, but chlorine reacts with Urea (a component of urine) to make a non-harmful liquid, and it was thought that the urine was more effective (if slightly more disgusting). I've heard nothing in my research about the use of older or staler urine to increase effectiveness - the only thing I could think of is that it might have a higher concentration of urea, which might make it work better. Other then that though, I can't confirm or deny that.

FTFA: Last year, Poet Laureate Andrew Motion wrote a poem for him, The Five Acts of Harry Patch.

Not to be confused with the porno of the same name

shower_in_my_socks: Alien Robot: And with that simple event, WWI passes from living memory to recorded history.

/awestruck


That's what makes me sad. In my lifetime, the last of the WWII vets will leave this Earth. I'm comforted by the fact that we've documented the hell out of their experiences, though.

Still... my grandfather is 87. There will come a day in the near future when I won't be able to ask him anymore questions about what he went through, not just in WWII, but in the Space Race as well. All that I will have is whatever he told me while he was alive. This notion has lit a fire under me and I'm planning to professionally film a series of interviews with him when I see him again in a couple of months.

If you'd like to contact me privately, I'd love to send you some resources on doing oral histories. It's part of my job as an Archivist. It's a noble project, and more then a few people would be very interested in your content if you wish to see this project through. GIve me a ring. My email should be in my profile.

Kudos to you.

Flying Lasagna Monster: MIguy: The biggest face palm on Fark is the assholes who bash people serving in the modern military but call veterans of WWI and WWII heroes. WTF is the difference?

One group consists of pampered pussies with gold-plated benefits that constantly need their ass kissed while picking on third world nations in protracted conflicts that they never actually win. The other group sucked mustard gas while fighting other first-world nations, enjoyed trench foot, got surgery without anesthetic, and most importantly, actually won their war. It's pretty clear cut to me.

(Why am I feeding this troll?!?!)

Soldiers follow orders.

If they are ordered to deploy in 'Third-World" protracted engagements, then they follow those orders or face reprimand.
I'll be happy when all the lib-tard anti-military wankers simply up and die. Serve or STFU in regards to those who do/did.

If you have an issue with people following orders, then perhaps you need to re-examine your understanding of the military.

And heroes.

/WTF?! Challenging DRAFTED Vets and VOLUNTEER Vets and current service men and women? Please DIAF.
//please?

PTSD is real, and yes, a lot of soldiers get it. It's usually associated with prolonged levels of acute stress (i.e., imminent fear of being killed). Patients with it display a unique pattern of brain activation when exposed to war-related stimuli (the usual fear-inhibiting pathways of prefrontal cortex-to-amygdala are suppressed if active at all). The reason why we're hearing so much more about it now than we did during previous wars is the same reason why we hear more about depression now than we did fifty or a hundred years ago, or why we hear more about what radar and satellite detect regarding the weather: our instrumentation and knowledge are greater and more sensitive than they were fifty or a hundred years ago.

Do you think that the clouds weren't visible from orbit during world war 1? Was war somehow nicer or less traumatic a hundred years ago? Had human nature and our society changed that drastically that people simply can't handle war anymore? Doubtful. Stop belittling the real emotional struggle that these soldiers are going through. Or don't, whatever. I'd advise against telling THEM they're pussies, though. Causing them emotional stress could make them cry, but it could as easily make them lash out in anger. Then again, you probably all know ten martial arts and carry a dozen guns with you everywhere, so what do you have to fear?

Later, buddy. Take care, and thanks.

At ease, soldier (new window).

RIP, Andy Rooney

/am I doing it right?

Gwendolyn: Spoonfed'sBuddy: fro123: If anyone ever gets to Kansas City you need to check out the Liberity Memorial WW1 museum.

Jinx! Really though, it is one of the best museums I've ever been in. Link (new window)

The only WWI military museum I've been to was Boalsburg Military Museum, (new window) They had a trench set up with censors and as you walked through it explosions, shouting, screaming, and shots would sound off. It used to scare the fark out of me as a child.

Interesting. I'll check it out if I'm in the area. You won't get ambushed at the one in KC, but they've got a couple trenches and bomb craters set up. The videos they show are really well put together. The intro movie gives a good concise background into the conflict and the second movie / trench presentation mixes a trench warfare experience with informative clips on how and why the US got involved. The collection of weaponry, uniforms, and vehicles is impressive as well.

http://armorgames.com/play/2267/warfare-1917

Obligatory.

We shall not see men the likes of these again.

Hopefully, someday we will be able to identify a generation, not by the war they fought. But by the things that they accomplished to improve the lives of all people.

Your watch is ended, Sir.
I thank you, and I salute you.

shower_in_my_socks: Still... my grandfather is 87. There will come a day in the near future when I won't be able to ask him anymore questions about what he went through, not just in WWII, but in the Space Race as well. All that I will have is whatever he told me while he was alive. This notion has lit a fire under me and I'm planning to professionally film a series of interviews with him when I see him again in a couple of months.

Thank you. Don't delay. I saw my Dad getting older and frailer and had planned on doing something similar. I acquired some video equipment over the Christmas holidays one year in preparation for a long visit I had planned with my Dad the subsequent summer. He passed away that spring.

Falcon Hunter: Flying Lasagna Monster: MIguy: The biggest face palm on Fark is the assholes who bash people serving in the modern military but call veterans of WWI and WWII heroes. WTF is the difference?

One group consists of pampered pussies with gold-plated benefits that constantly need their ass kissed while picking on third world nations in protracted conflicts that they never actually win. The other group sucked mustard gas while fighting other first-world nations, enjoyed trench foot, got surgery without anesthetic, and most importantly, actually won their war. It's pretty clear cut to me.

(Why am I feeding this troll?!?!)

Soldiers follow orders.

If they are ordered to deploy in 'Third-World" protracted engagements, then they follow those orders or face reprimand.
I'll be happy when all the lib-tard anti-military wankers simply up and die. Serve or STFU in regards to those who do/did.

If you have an issue with people following orders, then perhaps you need to re-examine your understanding of the military.

And heroes.

/WTF?! Challenging DRAFTED Vets and VOLUNTEER Vets and current service men and women? Please DIAF.
//please?

So wait, because I did well in school and I got to go to college instead of being deployed in some sh*thole I should STFU about others who didn't make the greatest choices?



Never go full retard

How quickly the lessons learned fade. An unimaginable price paid. The brutality of that war is gone from living memory. A handful of generations later, most people don't even know how or why that war started.

May they rest now. A war to end all wars. If only that were the case.

Rest well. Good night sir.

holiday_inn_in_cambodia: r1niceboy: I'm from Scotland, and every Scottish kid gets a sound grounding in WWI history. Hell, that teaching spawned the band Franz Ferdinand.

One thing stuck with me. A bunch of my year (15 year olds) went to Sanctuary Hill in Belgium, where they have preserved trenches from that war. My class was told to get in a trench, and when a whistle blew, get out and run toward another trench a hundred yards away. Two sixth year chaperones stood in the far trench sweeping their arms back and forth. By the time we all reached the trench, the teacher said "Imagine you were running through mud, blood, bones, explosions, and these two in this trench each were firing a machine gun firing a thousand bullets a minute each. That was World War One!"

That stuck with me. Anyone who survived that was altered, and I won't use the word hero, because Hitler survived it. But if you came out the far side intact and mentally competent, well, I can't begin to honour you highly enough.

We took a field trip to an amusement park when I was 15.

THIS IS WHAT IS WRONG WITH AMERICA.

Your school wasted a spot on the bus to the amusement park to a killjoy?

/took a trip to Fort McHenry in the fourth grade
//they had tiny 22 caliber single shot handguns for sale in the gift shop
///bought a lighter for a buck with an American flag sticker on it
////next week I'll tell about my trip to The Enchanted Forest in the third grade

I always think of The Pogues doing "And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda" when I think of WW1.

Then in 1915 my country said son
its time you stopped rambling
there's work to be done
so they gave me a tin hat
and they gave me a gun
and sent me away to the war

I know its a song about an Aussie getting maimed at Gallipoli, but is there a more mournful sound than Shane McGowan warbling at the end of the song, "waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda, who'll go a-waltzing Matilda with me..."?

Last Post

Link (new window)

MIguy: Not a hero, he was just doing what he signed up for.

He didn't sign up for it. He was conscripted.
You would know this if you were literate.

Flying Lasagna Monster: stiletto_the_wise: Why don't we just have a "military" tag and be done with it? Does "military" always == HERO? What's next?

WWI vets are a little more deserving of the HERO tag than the veterans of our current wars. These days, every other soldier that has seen combat has PTSD, and receives medication and counseling to talk about their wittle hurt feewings, thus getting out of any further action. If a WWI soldier ever got "shell shock" he was just slapped across the face and told to snap out of it. And over the top of the trench he went once more.

/they don't make em like they used to.

They don't abuse 'em like they used to.

//It was BOLLOCKS.

kb7rky: Your watch is ended, good sir...we'll take over from here.

Godspeed.

THIS. well said. Thank you.

Flying Lasagna Monster: MIguy: The biggest face palm on Fark is the assholes who bash people serving in the modern military but call veterans of WWI and WWII heroes. WTF is the difference?

One group consists of pampered pussies with gold-plated benefits that constantly need their ass kissed while picking on third world nations in protracted conflicts that they never actually win. The other group sucked mustard gas while fighting other first-world nations, enjoyed trench foot, got surgery without anesthetic, and most importantly, actually won their war. It's pretty clear cut to me.

I had the great honor to be present for this award ceremony Link (new window) What they don't tell you is that the only reason he got pulled off the turret was he passed out. The guy who put the tourniquet on then got on the 240. When they pulled cpl gustafson from the turret, he had to stop them and say "Wait, sergeant, my leg is still underneath the gunners seat."

/PTSD is quite real, as I learned when I accidentally dropped the lid to one of the weapons cleaning tanks

Gwendolyn: There is a RAF guy still kicking

Sadly not. Henry Allingham died just over a week ago. There is a solitary WWI vet left in Britain, ex Royal Navy.

tedbundee: Falcon Hunter: Flying Lasagna Monster: MIguy: The biggest face palm on Fark is the assholes who bash people serving in the modern military but call veterans of WWI and WWII heroes. WTF is the difference?

One group consists of pampered pussies with gold-plated benefits that constantly need their ass kissed while picking on third world nations in protracted conflicts that they never actually win. The other group sucked mustard gas while fighting other first-world nations, enjoyed trench foot, got surgery without anesthetic, and most importantly, actually won their war. It's pretty clear cut to me.

(Why am I feeding this troll?!?!)

Soldiers follow orders.

If they are ordered to deploy in 'Third-World" protracted engagements, then they follow those orders or face reprimand.
I'll be happy when all the lib-tard anti-military wankers simply up and die. Serve or STFU in regards to those who do/did.

If you have an issue with people following orders, then perhaps you need to re-examine your understanding of the military.

And heroes.

/WTF?! Challenging DRAFTED Vets and VOLUNTEER Vets and current service men and women? Please DIAF.
//please?

So wait, because I did well in school and I got to go to college instead of being deployed in some sh*thole I should STFU about others who didn't make the greatest choices?



Never go full retard

Hey, just so you know, I did very well in school, made a 99 on my asvab for christs sake, and I'm serving my country. And when I'm finished, I can say I accomplished something and get 4 years of my college paid for. It has its benefits.

/It may not be the "best" choice, from your standpoint, but I believe its the right one
//To be honest, if I could have gone back to before I signed up, I would have picked something other than infantry. What the hell was I thinking

I did 6 months in Bosnia as part of the UN peacekeeping force, and in that time I was involved in 16 engagements, one of which was Medak Pocket. Unlike most of you here, I can imagine what it must have been like for soldiers like Patch, fighting in the rain and the blood. I felt the same fear, the same frustration, the same anger and the same confusion. We didn't have air strikes or helicopter support, and most of the time we didn't even know who or where the enemy was.

Our job was to be diplomats, negotiators and peacekeepers, but sometimes we had to be soldiers. Sometimes we had to kill.

Like someone just said, soldiers follow orders. I didn't agree with everything we were told to do, or not do. There were times when my fellow peacekeepers and I had to stand by and watch human beings slaughter other human beings, and too many times because of politics and bullsh*t, we were not allowed to fire a single shot to defend the innocent. Like Patch, I can still hear them. I think I always will.

War is wrong. War is not glamorous or cool or exciting. War should be ended before war ends us. I did what I thought was right, and at the time I hoped that by serving in the military I could pay for my education. I never thought I would be sent to a war zone. The atrocities I bore witness to will haunt me for the rest of my life. Maybe when I'm 100 I can talk about it. Until then, I will keep my nightmares to myself.

And no, I won't go into any details, and no I won't tell you if I killed anyone. And as for any of you who judge, belittle or insult the military, and even those who claim to support it, you all have every right to speak your mind, and it doesn't bother me at all if you think I'm a robot or a killer or a hero, because none of you could ever possibly understand what being a soldier in a war zone is like.

Patch, you can rest now. Your job is finally done, your war is finally over. Mine still rages on in my head and in my heart, just like every other combat veteran in the world.

/saluting for the first time in 15 years

ignite ice: Seems like every god damn month there's a new "Last member of WW1" news article popping up.

yeah no shiat - I was about to say the very same thing
couldve sworn there was one last week in fact on Fark

Kellner21: Thank you, good sir, and goodnight. May you finally rest in peace, and spend it with those you love. FMS knows you deserve it.


what does a farkette have to do with WW1?

And with that, one of the last living links to the War to End All Wars fades away. Inevitably the memory of that struggle will fade with time only to be remembered in history books and monuments.

Rest in peace, hero.
/salute

stiletto_the_wise: kb7rky: Better yet, how about you tell the men and women returning from Iraq, or Afghanistan, that they aren't heroes?

I'd lay odds you'll have your ass handed to you in the time it takes to blow a fart out your overprotected ass.

So, they'll show me that might makes right? Heroic indeed.

right? probably not but...would feel good to make you cry like a little girl

Fano: thirdangletheory: And with that, one of the last living links to the War to End All Wars fades away. Inevitably the memory of that struggle will fade with time only to be remembered in history books and monuments.

Rest in peace, hero.
/salute

A few years ago, my father, born in 1939, told me stories about his grandfather, a Civil War veteran. He said the stories that he heard as a small boy he regarded as the talk of an old man, and only later did he see in history books the stuff his grandpa talked about.

Then he said, sadly, "it's hard to imagine, but for the present generation of kids, WWII is that far away."

Trust me, Call of Duty will NEVER let WW2 go. Kids will know about it, but probably the wrong way.

/Not nearly as easy to stop a bayonet as the game makes it look
//In all seriousness, I have a feeling that we will remember, but it will be through rose tinted glasses and with a sense of detachment, inhumanity
///We will remember the best parts and ignore the worst
////Spanish-American War, I'm looking at you

at80eighty: ignite ice: Seems like every god damn month there's a new "Last member of WW1" news article popping up.

yeah no shiat - I was about to say the very same thing
couldve sworn there was one last week in fact on Fark

There are probably as many WWI 'lasts' as NASA claims 'firsts' (first monkey in space, first man in space, first woman in space, first teacher in space, first African-American in space, first African-American woman in space, etc).

There was the last WWI soldier who saw combat, the last soldier who was overseas but wasn't in combat, the last soldier who was in the military during WWI but never deployed overseas, and so forth.

@ MIGUY

"Not a hero, he was just doing what he signed up for."

I've not read through this thread but I'm sure someone must have picked up on this...He didn't "Sign up" for anything, he was conscripted. When the big one comes and I demand that you crawl through barb wire fencing in swirling mist with the wiff of Mustard Gas on the breeze whilst the rifle rounds and shells cut down your comrades then I'll call you a hero, until then you probably need to STFU and do some reading before coming on here and demonstrating your ignorance.

I'm a little surprised no one has posted this yet. (pops)

Had just finished reading The Last Fighting Tommy when I heard about his death.
Living in a town that he had been stationed in and being able to take a look at the places he'd been makes it seem a little more real to me.
I'm normally completely uninterested in anything war related, but by the Gods if they had taught me about Harry Patch when I was in history class I would have paid more attention.
So totally in awe of everything he went through.

Rest in peace, hero

Rock on Gordinho!!!

I have a WWII BAR man that drifts into my pub every day.
I care for him mucho!!!
He is a real hero to me.

/sad frail old man, have a drink on me :*(

My two cents on the PTSD thing. Every soldier reacts to combat differently. One soliders could be in a small fire fight that can fark him up for life, and another soldier can have several combat tours as infantry in the 10th MTN, 82nd or 2/1 BCT and be fine as the day he oe she went in. Bottom line, every experience is different.

As for Flying Lasagna Monster I hope you never encounter war, therefore be grateful that there are people that volunteer to serve our country. Would you rather be drafted? Second, your comparison of WWI to modern day warfare clearly demontrates your "vast" knowledge of combat. I witnessed my best friend die of an IED in Iraq, and what happened to him, his gunner, the female marine that was with him could be easily compared with bodies ripped apart by shrapnel or explosive force in any war.

Finally, take the time to actually read the US Constitution. We don't decide on where and when to fight wars, your elected politicians do.

I'm sure Flying Lasagna Monster rocks World of Warcraft and can teach us veterans a thing or two about war.

Fano:

A few years ago, my father, born in 1939, told me stories about his grandfather, a Civil War veteran. He said the stories that he heard as a small boy he regarded as the talk of an old man, and only later did he see in history books the stuff his grandpa talked about.

Then he said, sadly, "it's hard to imagine, but for the present generation of kids, WWII is that far away."

It blows your mind being able to hear about such a formative event like that. My father is a Vietnam veteran who worked in a triage unit, and only just now he's beginning to talk about his experiences there. I think it's important that we, as following generations, remember these stories and pass them along.

Alien Robot: There are probably as many WWI 'lasts' as NASA claims 'firsts' (first monkey in space, first man in space, first woman in space, first teacher in space, first African-American in space, first African-American woman in space, etc).

There was the last WWI soldier who saw combat, the last soldier who was overseas but wasn't in combat, the last soldier who was in the military during WWI but never deployed overseas, and so forth.

true. just remembered that the last one was a WW1 vet associated with the RAF founders

You know who else was a WW1 vet?

Gwendolyn: holiday_inn_in_cambodia: We took a field trip to an amusement park when I was 15.

THIS IS WHAT IS WRONG WITH AMERICA.

My high school history teacher was Jeff Wert. He took us to Gettysburg so many times I could write a book myself on the subject.

By 11th grade, he taught all the AP History classes 10th-12th in the school, we decided to see if there was a day when he didn't make a Civil War reference. The least he would do was three in a one hour class.

That's my dad. We like to say that all roads lead to Korea with him. No subject can't be made better by integrating some Korean War history. The weather, your new puppy, and even your Honda's front wheel alignment are all the perfect segue to the minutia of the conflict in Korea. He is also fond of talking about World War II, cars, planes and weapons. At least he reads alot - it keeps his material fresh. He's a bowler, too. "Has the whole world gone crazy? Am I the only one around here who gives a shiat about the rules? Mark it zero!"

Ready_Cents: You know who else was a WW1 vet?

Hehehe.

http://www.pbs.org/greatwar/

Best documentary on WWI I ever saw. Easily on par with Ken Burns Civil War series. The only difference was I think PBS only ran the Great War one time.

Never been released on DVD to my knowledge, and I think the VHS copies are rare and OOP and hard to get your hands on.

I took this series out at my local library a few years ago to rewatch it, and it was every bit as good as I remembered.

Check it out if you ever get a chance.

MIguy: Not a hero, he was just doing what he signed up for.

Sigh. There's always one and here he is.

vertiaset: That war destroyed the cream of European manhood. It has taken four generations to recover, with of course that little hiccup between '39 and '45.

It took a special kind of courage to go "over the top".

All respect to the last of these brave men.

Call me when the last Austro-Hungarian veteran of WWI dies. They were the real heroes.

British, not so much . They were the Nazis of WWI.

stiletto_the_wise: Why don't we just have a "military" tag and be done with it? Does "military" always == HERO? What's next?

Army vet takes a dump at the Giants game

Ex-Marine in Tuscon announces he quit smoking

Studies show soldiers play video games when not on duty

Mr. Wert's books. (new window) The one about Mosby's rangers was made into a tv pilot but was never picked up.

Damn. My dad never wrote a book - what a loser.

r1niceboy: I'm from Scotland, and every Scottish kid gets a sound grounding in WWI history. Hell, that teaching spawned the band Franz Ferdinand.

My HS history teacher was a bit nuts. When we started on WWII he walked into the room wearing a WW!! Nazi uniform and recited - in German - one of Hilter's speeches. It was shocking, he was yelling and had most of the manners down. Pretty bizarre but it go the point across. Now you wouldn't see that at all.

Broz_Tito: Call me when the last Austro-Hungarian veteran of WWI dies. They were the real heroes.

British, not so much . They were the Nazis of WWI.

Call me when the last Italian WWI vets dies, they were the wily-nilly side switching Italians of WWII....oh wait.

To the dead: A warrior comes....

Flying Lasagna Monster: MIguy: The biggest face palm on Fark is the assholes who bash people serving in the modern military but call veterans of WWI and WWII heroes. WTF is the difference?

One group consists of pampered pussies with gold-plated benefits that constantly need their ass kissed while picking on third world nations in protracted conflicts that they never actually win. The other group sucked mustard gas while fighting other first-world nations, enjoyed trench foot, got surgery without anesthetic, and most importantly, actually won their war. It's pretty clear cut to me.

Welcome to my killfile.

So, not trying to thread jack at all but any of you ww2 buffs/historians?

I did a stint as a archiver for a guy in my town who collected ww2 photos. Anyways we went to estate auction of a ww2 vet and found a box of photos. And they are amazing. Would it be cool to post a few, I know its not ww1 but I have never shown these to anyone.

I think the Germans had the right idea in WWI: exterminate the British.

If nothing else, it would make the internet usable again if all the snarky UK posters died tomorrow.

Falcon Hunter: I'll be happy when all the lib-tard anti-military wankers simply up and die. Serve or STFU in regards to those who do/did.

Don't lump the rest of us libtards in with that moron. As for "serve or STFU," not everyone can or should be in the military. Around 1% of the US population serve in the military. Think of the size of the military budget. How much greater would it be if we doubled the number of personnel to 2%?

Despite what several people seem to believe, the military (even the Army!) is pretty selective -- not only on a physical level, but on a mental and psychological one as well. Can we please put down the myth of "joining the Army because you don't have any other options?"

But let's also put down the myth of having to serve in order to be considered a patriotic American, have a sense of duty, or have an opinion that can be taken seriously. Imagine if other professions did that. Your opinion is invalid because you're not a bus driver. Would anyone seriously entertain such a concept?

DFWPhotoGuy: So, not trying to thread jack at all but any of you ww2 buffs/historians?

I did a stint as a archiver for a guy in my town who collected ww2 photos. Anyways we went to estate auction of a ww2 vet and found a box of photos. And they are amazing. Would it be cool to post a few, I know its not ww1 but I have never shown these to anyone.

Post 'em.


/Also : Axis forum, feldgrau...

Came in to hear the whining about supposed misuse of the 'Hero' tag.

Leaving with the cries of those who can never understand echoing behind me.

/goodnight, sir

/salute

Here are a few - the ones I have look to cover north africa mainly. Im uploading a churchhill one right now...

damnit - file to large to display..here is a linky

Link (new window) Destroyed Nazi Bomber with RAF hanging out

Link (new window)I think RAF officers lounge


Link (new window) Ariel shot of line of RAF planes taking off in the desert - clouds of dust behind them - pretty damn cool

okay...i looked at the comments late since i had seen this story on the news. i assumed everyone had made the obvious joke.
but no, only one of you.
everyone else was busy trolling or wtf-ever(didn't bother)
a joke like this doesn't occur that often.
a Harry Patch doesn't just fall in your lap...

CreativeFarkHandle: He didn't sign up for it. He was conscripted.
You would know this if you were literate.

You'd know I was being sarcastic if you weren't such a noob. I was using the same line that so many Farkers use in the daily military bashing threads that get posted here.

Thank you for your service, sir.

The last of a generation

the French used to march into battle bah-ing like sheep. that's pretty brave.

Conservationist
I think the Germans had the right idea in WWI: exterminate the British.

If nothing else, it would make the internet usable again if all the snarky UK posters died tomorrow.

Good god, what a fecking moran! On so many levels.

Oh, and thanks for conflicting me beyond any possible recovery.

//half German.
//half British.

Good night, sweet prince

tedbundee: Falcon Hunter:
Soldiers follow orders.

If they are ordered to deploy in 'Third-World" protracted engagements, then they follow those orders or face reprimand.
I'll be happy when all the lib-tard anti-military wankers simply up and die. Serve or STFU in regards to those who do/did.

If you have an issue with people following orders, then perhaps you need to re-examine your understanding of the military.

And heroes.

/WTF?! Challenging DRAFTED Vets and VOLUNTEER Vets and current service men and women? Please DIAF.
//please?

So wait, because I did well in school and I got to go to college instead of being deployed in some sh*thole I should STFU about others who didn't make the greatest choices?

Never go full retard

Yes. Yes you should.

You fail. A =/= B.

You imply that only dimwits, morons and those of lesser intelligence server as soldiers and officers in our military.

Ad hominem: Please research and discuss.

Coward. Not because you didn't serve (well, for that too, but not for this statement), rather because you speak so smug and superior with regards to the very people who allowed you the peace and opportunity to attend university. Attending university, however, makes you no better a man than one who takes a few years to serve and protect his country prior to entering university.

Now what?

MonkeyAngst: Falcon Hunter: I'll be happy when all the lib-tard anti-military wankers simply up and die. Serve or STFU in regards to those who do/did.

Don't lump the rest of us libtards in with that moron. As for "serve or STFU," not everyone can or should be in the military. Around 1% of the US population serve in the military. Think of the size of the military budget. How much greater would it be if we doubled the number of personnel to 2%?

Despite what several people seem to believe, the military (even the Army!) is pretty selective -- not only on a physical level, but on a mental and psychological one as well. Can we please put down the myth of "joining the Army because you don't have any other options?"

But let's also put down the myth of having to serve in order to be considered a patriotic American, have a sense of duty, or have an opinion that can be taken seriously. Imagine if other professions did that. Your opinion is invalid because you're not a bus driver. Would anyone seriously entertain such a concept?

I guess to clarify: the "Serve or STFU" is used in regards to those of lesser intelligence (military bashers) who claim to understand the complexity of serving in the military but fall flat on their face because they've seen a few movies.

I'm not saying that you HAVE to serve to be considered a real American or even patriotic. But I won't stand idly by and listen to the Vietnam-era thinking that Soldier=Moron. Or that Military=Low-Class-Occupation.

If you don't want to server, (either through objection or ability) fine.
If you want to attack soldiers verbally (or worse), then please find the nearest bridge and jump. If you dislike the choices made in terms of National Military Action, go to DC and biatch to the people who put us in those conflicts.

But I will gladly defend those who are too busy overseas, away from their wives, kids, parents, friends and homes protecting our ability to sit safely at home and engage in this discourse.

I would love to see ANY of you "PTSD doubters" or "modern military vets are wussies" type folks go serve a tour or two in some combat shiathole and return here to detail how perfectly adjusted you are!! How dare you judge, lest ye shall be judged? Its true of course that everyone has a right to their opinion and a right to voice that, but I would challenge you to walk in their shoes!! Even though I am a Desert Shield/Storm vet in My opinion there are many other vets who are more deserving of being called a hero than I!

/82nd Airborne -- Line in the Sand..
//Salutes to all the other vets, especially the old timers..
///As you were!!

Falcon Hunter:
Coward. Not because you didn't serve (well, for that too, but not for this statement), rather because you speak so smug and superior with regards to the very people who allowed you the peace and opportunity to attend university. Attending university, however, makes you no better a man than one who takes a few years to serve and protect his country prior to entering university.

Now what?

I didn't always feel this way but lately I've been getting annoyed by statements like this. The reason is that talking up the virtue of military service allows young people to be taken advantage of. Think of how many kids got sent to Vietnam to get their legs blown off after some GI Joe told them they would be serving their country honorably, defending peace and democracy, blah blah blah...and it was all for nothing. I'm glad that Patch was capable of admitting that WWI was all for nothing, just senseless slaughter. Too many people get caught up in the fanfare and miss the obvious lessons that the wars should have taught us.

Syphilis_Smile: Flying Lasagna Monster: One group consists of pampered pussies with gold-plated benefits

A friend of mine in boot camp told me today how he fractured his hip by sprinting in his body armor. He thinks he fractured his leg from other forms of activities as well, and is worried he will have to drop out of his current training class because of it.. His words were that there are too many quitters out there, and he won't be a pussy like that.. Therefore your smug condescending attitude towards those who can actually serve is a bit out of place.

My statement to MIguy was a bit misplaced itself, as i didn't realize he was talking more to douchebags like yourself who think our modern military is some imperialist bully. Sure, they don't experience the certain death that their predecessors faced.. But pound for pound, the soldiers i know are still the most hardcore of individuals you can find. Take your criticism and shove it up your ass ;)

+5 Insightful

Falcon Hunter: very people who allowed you the peace and opportunity to attend university

WW1 was not fought for freedom

It was a blatant land grab by various empires squabbling over the remnants of the collapsing austrian/hungarian empires, that was made worse by the domino effect brought on by interwoven defensive pacts.

The people who went there are not heros
The ones who volunteered are idiots
The ones who were drafted were victims

There was NOTHING about that war related to freedom.

ZeroCorpse--

lol your certainly right about some guys being loony-toon, just like every other walk of life, and I certainly am willing to concede that there are those who suffer PTSD because they couldn't deal with things, or their current situation.

lol abhorrent behavior ?? that I am enslaved too?? wtf?? I just wanted to jump out of airplanes, but wow.. you must be psychic or clairvoyant to think you so much about Me just from My post!! Unfortunately your assessment of My character is umm lame and totally without merit, perhaps you should stick to contributing to society in a medical capacity, instead of making yourself look bad in a public forum. but then again, your love of country is SOOO GREAT that you wouldn't die for it, expect different, I shouldn't.

Falcon Hunter: You imply that only dimwits, morons and those of lesser intelligence server as soldiers and officers in our military.

When it comes to WW1 I sort of agree

If you volunteered you were a dimwit (or just batshiat insane)
If you were drafted you were a victim

(who invented the idea of removing the freedom of someone and forcing them to kill someone else... for freedom ?)

I forgot to mention that I'm Canadian. Didn't mean to mislead anyone, I didn't serve in the American Army.

JQPublic: I'm sure Flying Lasagna Monster rocks World of Warcraft and can teach us veterans a thing or two about war.

No, I've never played World of Warcraft. My military knowledge mostly comes from Counter-Strike.

MadSkillz: I feel bad that these people had to do this, had to live in those stinking trenches. I hope to one day live in a world where people aren't used as pawns in a pointless game of political grabass. Because when you think about it, other than the Ottoman Empire collapsing and the Austro-Hungarian empire splitting (and both of these events were happening anyway), there was no real change in territories.

Noone's life was improved, and millions and millions and millions of people died for no reason whatsoever.


Worse, crippling war reparations at the end of WWI sowed the seeds of WWII. So not only was WWI pointless, it helped fuel the flames for the greatest slaughter in the history of mankind.

Doesn't it seem we get a new "Last WW1 soldier dies in...." about once a week?

simpsonfan: Frank Buckles. We win. USA!

HAHAHA

stuhayes2010: Doesn't it seem we get a new "Last WW1 soldier dies in...." about once a week?

As I explained earlier, there are multiple "last soldiers." There's the last WW1 Canadian soldier, the last WW1 British soldier, the last WW1 US soldier who saw combat in the trenches, the last WW1 US soldier who deployed to Europe but was never in the trenches in combat, the last WW1 US soldier who was in the Army in WW1 but who was never deployed overseas, and so forth. They are all old enough that even the very oldest are dying off so that's why we are hearing of several recently.

nealpolitan: Flying Lasagna Monster: stiletto_the_wise: Why don't we just have a "military" tag and be done with it? Does "military" always == HERO? What's next?

WWI vets are a little more deserving of the HERO tag than the veterans of our current wars. These days, every other soldier that has seen combat has PTSD, and receives medication and counseling to talk about their wittle hurt feewings, thus getting out of any further action. If a WWI soldier ever got "shell shock" he was just slapped across the face and told to snap out of it. And over the top of the trench he went once more.

/they don't make em like they used to.

Sir, your douchebag meter has pegged out at 100%....

Dontcha just love how people with no experience in this topic love to spew BS like this.

Just wanted to say that, and anyone who signs on (or re-ups) during a time of war deserves to be called a hero. People who believe otherwise just can't get over their selfish idea that everything should benefit them first and foremost.


RIP sir, the end of an awesome generation of people.

Mr. Breeze: anyone who signs on (or re-ups) during a time of war deserves to be called a hero

signing up to kill other people for the glory of "king and country" does not a hero make

this man did not fight for your freedom
he did not fight for his own freedom

he did what he was told to embiggen (a perfectly cromulent word right ?) the british empire at the expense of other empires

taking up arms does not make you a hero
sometimes taking up arms just makes you armed

WW1 was not about any freedom, it could be said to have caused WW2
This was not a noble war, even for the nobility (most nobility was destroyed in that war)

Quit with the hero shiat
Being brave enough to kill someone else does not make you a hero

Slartibartfaster: Mr. Breeze: anyone who signs on (or re-ups) during a time of war deserves to be called a hero

signing up to kill other people for the glory of "king and country" does not a hero make

this man did not fight for your freedom
he did not fight for his own freedom

he did what he was told to embiggen (a perfectly cromulent word right ?) the british empire at the expense of other empires

taking up arms does not make you a hero
sometimes taking up arms just makes you armed

WW1 was not about any freedom, it could be said to have caused WW2
This was not a noble war, even for the nobility (most nobility was destroyed in that war)

Quit with the hero shiat
Being brave enough to kill someone else does not make you a hero

You're an idiot. Being brave enough to defend the innocent, and your country, knowing full well it's the last thing you could end up doing makes you a hero.

And Britain didn't fight WW1 to expand it's empire. Rather they fought for their allies and to release Europe from the German stranglehold. And you're right. If they hadn't fought in WW1, WW2 wouldn't have happened because Germany would have had no one left to invade.

Mr. Breeze: Being brave enough to defend the innocent, and your country

yep thats good (if you live in a country that was attacked perhaps)

attacking other countries to steal their terrirtory because you were either drafted or subjected to extreme propoganda ? not so much

Mr. Breeze: And Britain didn't fight WW1 to expand it's empire

Check the size of the holdings of the french, english, US holdings in the pacific, europe, and africa before and after the war.

Then after that ? kiss my ass meat head.

tedbundee: Falcon Hunter: Flying Lasagna Monster: MIguy: The biggest face palm on Fark is the assholes who bash people serving in the modern military but call veterans of WWI and WWII heroes. WTF is the difference?

One group consists of pampered pussies with gold-plated benefits that constantly need their ass kissed while picking on third world nations in protracted conflicts that they never actually win. The other group sucked mustard gas while fighting other first-world nations, enjoyed trench foot, got surgery without anesthetic, and most importantly, actually won their war. It's pretty clear cut to me.

(Why am I feeding this troll?!?!)

Soldiers follow orders.

If they are ordered to deploy in 'Third-World" protracted engagements, then they follow those orders or face reprimand.
I'll be happy when all the lib-tard anti-military wankers simply up and die. Serve or STFU in regards to those who do/did.

If you have an issue with people following orders, then perhaps you need to re-examine your understanding of the military.

And heroes.

/WTF?! Challenging DRAFTED Vets and VOLUNTEER Vets and current service men and women? Please DIAF.
//please?

So wait, because I did well in school and I got to go to college instead of being deployed in some sh*thole I should STFU about others who didn't make the greatest choices?



Never go full retard


"A nation that makes a great distinction between its scholars and its warriors will have its laws made by cowards and its wars fought by fools."
- Thucydides

saintstryfe:
(Gasses would rise, so lower to the ground would have higher quality air).

Absolutely untrue. Chlorine and poison gases derived from it are heavier than air and will sink to the lowest point.

This characteristic makes them particularly lethal in trench warfare, because if it doesn't kill the enemy, it forces them up out of their foxholes and trenches where you can shoot at them.

/water engineer
//worked with chlorine and hate it.