Dear Friends of the World War I Memorial Foundation: 

We now have information on memorial services for Frank Buckles. Mr. Buckles will lie in repose for public visitation on Sunday, March 13 from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm and on Monday, March 14 from 12:00 pm to 9:00 pm, at Gawler's Funeral Home in Bethesda, MD. Click here for further information.

Mr. Buckles will then lie in honor in the Amphitheater Chapel at Arlington National Cemetery chapel on Tuesday, March 15 from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm.  He will be interred at the Cemetery at 4:00 pm on the 15th. Information on the Cemetery is available here:  http://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/ 

Charles Town, W.Va. — March 5, 2011- My family and I have received a tremendous outpouring of support from thousands of Americans and people from countries all over the world who have extended their condolences for the loss of my father, Frank Woodruff Buckles.

My father was a humble and soft-spoken gentleman who did not seek honor or recognition for himself, but in the last few years of his life others began to seek his support to the cause of honoring the military veterans of World War I, which he was glad to do. He was invited to testify before Congress on this subject in 2009, and he was honored to do so. When he became the last living American veteran of World War I, he recognized his role as representative of all the service members who served, fought, and died in the Great War and felt that it was his duty to do so, just as strongly as he felt the call to enlist and help fight that war, with all the other American doughboys.

In recent years, various Members of Congress have proposed to honor all the military veterans of World War I by honoring the last of those veterans to die. As fate would have it, that turned out to be my father. While Papa was still living, it was suggested that he lie in honor in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol as a final, formal tribute to all the veterans of World War I. Papa consented to this because he understood that, as the last living World War I veteran, he was expected to represent all of the World War I veterans. He looked upon this as his final duty, which he took very seriously.

My father's friends, family and acquaintances will acknowledge his character and accomplishments, remember him and mourn his loss regardless of any formal honors bestowed upon him. The issue is how do we as Americans come together over this loss, by providing a befitting venue to do so? How do we demonstrate to our own people and people all over the world how the United States of America honors its citizens of distinction? We need a time for reflection, and the recognition of the end of an era and the passing of a generation, especially for those men and women who made the Supreme Sacrifice for their country, and my father serves as a symbol for all those who served in World War I.

The Unknown Soldier from World War I and others have been recognized by lying in honor in the Rotunda of the Capital. If the last American soldier surviving is not suitable to serve as a symbol around which we can rally to honor those who served their country in the Great War, then who can serve that purpose? There is no one left. If we lose the opportunity to bestow this highest of honors on the person who was the last surviving representative, there can be no making it up later.

There is no extraordinary precedent being made here. The next similar request will come for the last survivor of World War II in 25 or 30 years' time, and it will be appropriate to honor that person, as well. It is absolutely appropriate to, and there is widespread public support for, allowing Frank Woodruff Buckles to lie in honor in the Rotunda. Let it be so.

We thank everyone for their prayers and support during this solemn time for our family and our country.

Dear Friends of the World War I Memorial Foundation:

We are sad to note the passing of our honorary chairman and the last surviving American veteran of World War I, Frank Woodruff Buckles, at age 110 at his home in Charles Town, W. Va.  Mr. Buckles was an extraordinary man who lived an extraordinary life, of which his service in World War I was but one small part.  Below are links to various obituaries and tributes:

Last U.S. World War I veteran Frank W. Buckles dies at 110 (Washington Post)
 
Last living U.S. World War I veteran dies (CNN)
 
Frank Buckles dies at 110; last American veteran of World War I (Los Angeles Times)
 
United States Senator Jay Rockefeller
 
The Last Doughboy (George F. Will)
 
President Obama noted Mr. Buckles' service as honorary chairman of the Foundation in a public statement, and has ordered that flags be flown at half-mast on the day that Mr. Buckles is interred at Arlington National Cemetery. 
 
Statement by the President on the Passing of Frank W. Buckles
 
Presidential Proclamation -- Death of Army Corporal Frank W. Buckles, the Last Surviving American Veteran of World War I
 
When we know more about funeral arrangements we will provide that information. 
 
The Foundation will continue to champion the cause of a national World War I Memorial in Mr. Buckles' honor and memory.  Restoration of the D.C. War Memorial by the National Park Service is underway, and will be completed later this year.  In addition, the Park Service is developing new signage, maps and directional aids for the National Mall that will highlight and draw more attention to the memorial than it has received in years past. 
 
Senators Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Jim Webb (D-VA) and John Thune (R-SD), along with Senators McCaskill and Blunt of Missouri, have introduced S. 253, which would designate the D.C. War Memorial and the Liberty Memorial in Kansas City as national World War I memorials, in addition to establishing a World War I centennial commission.  We are continuing to advocate for passage of this bill in the Senate and the House of Representatives. 
 
We have received on outpouring of support since Mr. Buckles' death, and we look forward to continuing to honor his legacy and that of the 4.7 milllion Americans he served with.  Thank you for your support. 

Foundation Honorary Chairman Frank Buckles was featured in The American Legion Magazine "Rapid Fire" with the story "Not for his sake, but for theirs."

Writer Christopher Lancette reports

"Frank Buckles nearly tumbled out of his wheelchair as he made his way along the crumbling stone walkway leading to the District of Columbia War Memorial on the National Mall in Washington. Algae had turned green the once-white dome of the memorial. Invasive plants had overtaken the open grove around it."

NBC Washington's July 16, 2010, feature story on the memorial highlighted Frank Buckles's support for re-dedication as a National and District of Columbia World War I Memorial.

Foundation Honorary Chairman Frank Buckles was featured in Parade magazine's Memorial Day weekend cover story "The Last Doughboy's Final Fight."

Author Richard Rubin wrote, "The veterans I interviewed had one thing in common: No matter what they thought about their war or war in general or Army life, they were proud of their service to their country. And Frank Buckles is proud to stand up for them now. 'Veterans of all the wars deserve their honor,' he says."

Four Flint, Mi., college students are planning a trip to visit America's last World War I veteran, Frank Buckles, at his farm in West Virginia. The trip will be a history lesson for the students. Read the Flint Journal article about the trip.

The last surviving United States World War I veteran, Frank Buckles, is celebrating his 109th birthday on Feb. 1. He shared a 109-candle birthday cake with family and friends at his farm near Charles Town, W. Va.

Frank Woodruff Buckles was born in Harrison County, Mo., on Feb. 1, 1901. He lied about his age to enlist and was sent to England. He then served in France as an ambulance driver and later guarded POWs during the Occupation.

Buckles reads and exercises daily, and he is involved in production of a documentary about his life. As honorary chairman of the World War I Memorial Foundation, he is dedicated to honoring the memory of his comrades with a memorial on the National Mall. He also wants to see more education and public awareness about World War I.

“When people come here, I ask them, the younger ones, what information they have about World War I, and most of them say either none at all or very little. And that bothers me,” he said.

Sen. John Rockefeller (D-W. Va.) said, “I wish a very happy birthday to my friend Frank Buckles—a true patriot, a proud West Virginian, and the last surviving veteran of World War I—who turns 109 on Feb. 1. On this special occasion, I am enormously proud to recognize Frank’s leadership as honorary chairman of the World War I Memorial Foundation. I share the foundation’s unwavering commitment to rededicating the existing Washington D.C. War Memorial as a national monument honoring every one of our nation’s WWI veterans. And I will continue to champion the Senate legislation [S. 2097] that will make it possible."

The last surviving United States World War I veteran, Frank Buckles, testified in the Senate at on S. 2097, a bill to authorize re-dedication of the District of Columbia War Memorial as a National and District of Columbia World War I Memorial.

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks held the hearing on S. 2097, the Frank Buckles World War I Memorial Act on Dec. 3, 2009. The bill, which has 12 cosponsors, was introduced by Senators John D. Rockefeller (D-W. Va.), Jim Webb (D-Va.), and John Thune (R-S.D.), who each testified on its behalf. Edwin L. Fountain, a director of the World War I Memorial Foundation also testified.




View a webcast of the hearing.

Sen. Rockefeller introduces Buckles at time code 29:56, and the foundation’s testimony begins at time code 98:28.

America’s last surviving World War I veteran, 108-year-old Frank Buckles, was presented with a $1350 check for the World War I Memorial Foundation on Saturday, September 5, 2009, at his farm in Charles Town, West Virginia. Buckles is the honorary chairman of the foundation.

Justin Rojek, head of a Montgomery, Ala., Sons of the American Revolution chapter, traveled to Buckles’s Gap View Farm for the Labor Day weekend event. The chapter raised the funds to support Mr. Buckles’s cause at a Memorial Day service they sponsored.

Buckles visited the D.C. War Memorial in 2008. He called for long-delayed restoration of the memorial, now planned by the National Park Service, and for its re-dedication as a National and District of Columbia World War I Memorial.

The Fox News national TV network ran a report over the Fourth of July weekend on the need for a national World War I Memorial. The report featured interviews with Frank Buckles and with Edwin Fountain, one of the directors of the Foundation.

As a reminder, we have begun an on-line petition asking Congress to re-dedicate the District of Columbia War Memorial as a national memorial. If you haven't done so, please sign and ask your family and friends to do the same.

Thanks again for your support.

Over Memorial Day weekend, ABC World News named Frank Buckles as its "Person of the Week." ABC profiled Mr. Buckles' remarkable life, and cited his call for a national World War I memorial. On CNN, Anderson Cooper's AC360 blog (Read Forgotten vets: ‘Doughboys’ deserve honor too) also discussed the need for a national World War I memorial on the Mall in Washington.

Frank W. Buckles, America's last surviving World War I veteran, will be featured on ABC's evening news program Friday, May 22. Mr. Buckles spoke to ABC about his call for a national World War I memorial on the Mall in Washington DC, adjacent to the national memorials to the other wars of the 20th century.

Frank W. Buckles, of Charles Town, West Virginia, turned 108 on February 1. Mr. Buckles is the honorary chairman of the World War I Memorial Foundation, and the last surviving American veteran of the Great War. As the years went on, Mr. Buckles said, "I realized I'd be one of the last, but I never thought I'd be the last." He added, "Of course, if it has to be somebody, it might as well be me." Mr. Buckles was honored at the White House and the Pentagon last year, and has been advocating for the re-dedication of the District of Columbia War Memorial as a national World War I memorial.