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    Last known WWI veteran dies at 110

    Associated Press – Tue, Feb 7, 2012

    LONDON (AP) — Florence Green, the world's last known veteran of World War I, has died at the age of 110, the care home where she lived said Tuesday.

    Briar House Care Home in King's Lynn, England, said Green died Saturday, two weeks before her 111th birthday.

    Born Florence Beatrice Patterson in London on Feb. 19, 1901, she joined the Women's Royal Air Force in September 1918 at the age of 17.

    She went to work as a waitress in the officers' mess at RAF Marham in eastern England, and was serving there when the war ended in November 1918.

    Green remembered her wartime service with affection.

    "I met dozens of pilots and would go on dates," she said in an interview in 2008. "I had the opportunity to go up in one of the planes but I was scared of flying. I would work every hour God sent. But I had dozens of friends on the base and we had a great deal of fun in our spare time. In many ways, I had the time of my life."

    She was officially recognized as a veteran when a researcher found her service record in the National Archives.

    The RAF marked her 110th birthday in February 2011 with a cake.

    Asked what it was like to be 110, Green said "It's not much different to being 109."

    The war's last known combatant, Royal Navy veteran Claude Choules, died in Australia in May.

    After his death, Green became the war's last known surviving service member from the war, according to the Order of the First World War, a U.S.-based group that tracks veterans.

     

    15 comments

    • Ranger Jones
      Ranger Jones  •  Oklahoma City, Oklahoma  •  3 mths ago
      WOW! R I P
    • You're No Fun
      You're No Fun  •  3 mths ago
      She joined their air force, but was afraid of flying. British humor... Sounds like she was lovely woman.
      • Pillard
        Pillard 3 mths ago
        British humor indeed, "It's not much different to being 109."
      • A Real American
        A Real American 3 mths ago
        My father worked in color televison and his best engineer was blind. Go figure. I guess he was a brilliant mathematician.
    • A Yahoo! User  •  Houston, Texas  •  3 mths ago
      The population keeps growing, but I fear as time moves on, we are trading Quality for quantity. Rest in Peace Mrs. Green
      • A Yahoo! User 3 mths ago
        I guess joe the douche, proves my point of quality.
    • Rabid Dog
      Rabid Dog  •  3 mths ago
      RIP!!!!
    • A Real American
      A Real American  •  3 mths ago
      Wow. An end of an era for sure. My Grandfather was born in 1890 and fought in France during WW1. He was on a motorcycle crossing the countryside when a shell went off and blew him off the bike. No one knows how long he laid there. Gangrene set in his leg and he had to have it amputated. Doctors did not think he would live. But he did and that's how I ended up existing. My Gramps loved America. I was 26 when he died at age 95. I was fortunate to know and share his great life with him.
    • wapdoodle
      wapdoodle  •  3 mths ago
      WW1 was a terrible war. Men were slaughtered like animals by the millions and civilians were murdered for no purpose. My grandfather fought in the trenches with the British Army. He was badly injured and had nightmares for the rest of his life.
    • george
      george  •  Las Vegas, Nevada  •  3 mths ago
      GOD BLESS...R.I.P.
    • DrunkenDonuts®
      DrunkenDonuts®  •  3 mths ago
      WWI: the new forgotten war. I think it had a bigger impact on the 20th century more than any other event. That's just my crappy opinion, obviously.
    • gerard
      gerard  •  Deposit, New York  •  3 mths ago
      Paragraph 9. Quick wit and common sense. I didn;t know you, but you will be sorely missed by all. RIP
    • up the arm
      up the arm  •  Everett, Washington  •  3 mths ago
      To all who serve, and give everything they have to stop oppression! God Bless, and Rest in peace!!! You are not forgotten!!!
    • Harvey
      Harvey  •  3 mths ago
      World War One...a war where not just armies but whole nations broke and ran.
    • A39
      A39  •  Cleveland, Ohio  •  3 mths ago
      History Channel2 ran a WW I marathon a few days ago. Unbelievable carnage, atrocities, unending trench warfare, etc., etc. Considering the primitive state of news reporting compared to that of the 21st century, one can only theorize as to how horrific the conflict truly was. And, yes, WWII vets' numbers are fast decreasing.
      Makes me wish world leaders who send our youth into harm's way would think twice before ever doing so again--and then think once more.
      OK. You can stick a fork into me: I'm done!
      • A Real American
        A Real American 3 mths ago
        Many historians say WW1 was as grizzly and brutal a war as there has been. uch of it was hand to hand combat using bayonette. And of course, mustard gas was prevalent too. Not pretty. Unfortunately, there is evil in the world. And giving evil people a glimpse of the brutality just makes them want it more. Sad, but true.
    • Dominic
      Dominic  •  Chicago, Illinois  •  3 mths ago
      Eternally grateful for people like Florence Green and all those who fought in WW1 which included my grandfather. They were selfless and courageous. Trench warfare was brutal and the suffering unimaginable.......they should never be forgotten
    • Mike
      Mike  •  Surfside, California  •  3 mths ago
      So passes the last fo the 'lost generation'. RIP! 'A generation is coming and a generation is going'.
    • ayjay
      ayjay  •  Seattle, Washington  •  3 mths ago
      It's Sad and Happy all at the same time. An Era gone forever. . .She leaves a Great Legacy. I think about Death a lot actually with my father (Deceased) being a WW2 vet. That generation is almost gone also.
     Post a comment
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