"I'll be 109 the first of February," he said. "And I don't have any aches or pains."
What WWI, War to end all Wars, the GreatOne, Memorial will be maintained as the National WWI Memorial for the war Frank Buckles is last remaining Veteran of Foreign War????
Perhaps the strongest competitor for bragging rights is the 217-foot-tall Liberty Memorial and National World War I Museum in Kansas City. Less than 100 miles from the Missouri farm where Buckles grew up, the memorial was dedicated in 1926 by President Calvin Coolidge and designated by Congress as a national symbol of World War I in 2000.
"... [T]he Kansas City tower, unlike the D.C. gazebo, was always "outward looking" -- military commanders from the five Allied nations and Gen. Pershing himself were at the groundbreaking. And Alexander noted that the family of Sgt. Alvin York, the most decorated American soldier of the war, supports the Kansas City memorial. The Medal of Honor winner's great-granddaughter was at Thursday's hearing.
Buckles, who lives on a farm in Charles Town, W.Va., with his daughter and her husband, has become the still-living symbol of World War I. There may be grander World War I memorials elsewhere. And some D.C. residents may not appreciate having their "little memorial" -- as Flanagan calls it -- taken over. But few can resist "the last man standing," as his home-state senator, Jay Rockefeller, calls Buckles. 9(Stone, Andrea. 12.03.2009; Retrieved HERE)
Buckles, who joined the Army when he was just 16, has been honored at the White House and the Pentagon. He was granted special permission by President George W. Bush to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery not far from his old commander, Gen. John Pershing.
Posted: 12/3/09 | by Andrea Stone- A former USA Today correspondent, Andrea has covered Washington, national and international news. She has reported from 47 states, 28 countries, Capitol Hill and the Pentagon.
"But local activists, including the National Coalition to Save Our Mall, oppose legislation supported by the World War I Memorial Foundation, of which Buckles is the honorary chairman. They note that legislation before Congress would not only refurbish the monument but would add an "appropriate sculptural or other commemorative element" to the existing structure -- a violation of a law that bans new construction on the Mall."Read Article HERE ...
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