Jump to content

List of last surviving World War I veterans

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from WWI veterans)

This is a list of the last known surviving veterans of the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918) who lived to 1999 or later, along with the last known veterans for countries that participated in the war. Veterans are defined as people who were members of the armed forces of the combatant nations during the conflict, although some states use other definitions.

Florence Green, a British citizen who served in the Allied armed forces as a Royal Air Force (WRAF) service member, is generally considered to have been the last verified veteran of the war at her death on 4 February 2012, aged 110.[1][a] The last combat veteran was Claude Choules, who served in the British Royal Navy (and later the Royal Australian Navy) and died 5 May 2011, aged 110.[3] The last veteran who served in the trenches was Harry Patch (British Army), who died on 25 July 2009, aged 111. The last Central Powers veteran, Franz Künstler of Austria-Hungary, died on 27 May 2008 at the age of 107.

The total number of participating personnel is estimated by the Encyclopædia Britannica at 65,038,810. There were approximately 9,750,000 military deaths during the conflict.

Last surviving veterans of each country

[edit]
Country[c] Veteran Death date Age
 Armenia[b] Senekerim Arakelian[4] 9 September 2000 98 years
 Australia[d] John Campbell Ross[5] 3 June 2009 110 years
 Austrian Empire[e] August Bischof[6] 4 March 2006 105 years
 Belgium Cyriel Barbary[f] 16 September 2004 105 years
Brazil Waldemar Levy Cardoso 13 May 2009 108 years
 Canada[d] John Babcock[9] 18 February 2010 109 years
 China Zhu Guisheng[10] 5 March 2002 106 years
 Czechoslovakian Legions[b] Alois Vocásek[11] 9 August 2003 107 years
 Denmark Lorenz Gram[12] 26 December 2004 105 years
France Pierre Picault[13][g] 20 November 2008 109 years
 German Empire Erich Kästner[14] 1 January 2008 107 years
 Kingdom of Hungary[e] Franz Künstler[15] 27 May 2008 107 years
 India Robert Francis Ruttledge[16] 12 January 2002 102 years
 Italy Delfino Borroni[17] 26 October 2008 110 years
 Japan Yasuichi Sasaki[18][a] 26 July 2006 108 years
 Montenegro Danilo Dajković[19] 14 September 1993 98 years
New Zealand[d] Bright Williams[20] 13 February 2003 106 years
 Newfoundland[d] Wallace Pike[21] 11 April 1999 99 years
 Ottoman Empire Yakup Satar[22] 2 April 2008 110 years
Poland[b] Stanisław Wycech[23] 12 January 2008 105 years
Romania Gheorghe Pănculescu[24] 9 January 2007 103 years
 Russian Empire Mikhail Krichevsky[25][26] 26 December 2008 111 years
 Serbia Aleksa Radovanović[27] 22 June 2004 103 years
Siam Yod Sangrungruang[28] 9 October 2003 106 years
 South Africa[d] Norman Kark[29][30] 30 March 2000 102 years
 United Kingdom Florence Green[31] 4 February 2012 110 years
 United States Frank Buckles[32] 27 February 2011 110 years

The last surviving veteran from the Colony of Jamaica was Stanley Stair[33] (d. 2008) and from British Guyana was Gershom Browne[34] (d. 2000). Thomas Shaw (d. 2002) was the last veteran from Ireland,[35] and Alfred Anderson (d. 2005) was the last from Scotland.[36]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Jiroemon Kimura, who died in 2013 (aged 116) and who was the oldest verified man in history and the last verified man to have been born in the 19th century, served as a conscript in an Imperial Japanese Army communications unit in Tokyo from April 1–June 30, 1918; this was discovered by gerontology researchers verifying his life history.[2]
  2. ^ a b c d Accorded belligerent status at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919.
  3. ^ Other combatant countries included Bulgaria, Greece, the Kingdom of Hejaz,[b] and Portugal.
  4. ^ a b c d e A partially self-governing Dominion under the British Empire, foreign relations remained with the British government
  5. ^ a b Austria and Hungary were component, technically sovereign, nations within the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
  6. ^ At the time of his death in 2001 at the age of 102, Paul Ooghe was widely believed to be the last surviving Belgian veteran of the conflict.[7] Barbary, who had served in the Belgian army in the final months of the war and emigrated to the United States, was only subsequently recognised.[8]
  7. ^ Following the legal definition of a war veteran as a person having served for six months during the war years (for which Picault did not qualify), the French government officially recognized Lazare Ponticelli, who died on 12 March 2008, as the last poilu.

Veterans by country of service – 9 veterans who lived to 2009 or later

[edit]

On 27 June 2006, the British Government approved a National Memorial Service at Westminster Abbey, to take place after the death of the last known World War I veteran from the United Kingdom. On 11 November 2009, despite the survival to that date of Claude Choules and Florence Green, the commemoration was held following the death of Harry Patch.[37] On 21 November 2006, the House of Commons of Canada approved a state funeral for the last World War I veteran to have served in the Canadian forces,[38] but this was declined by John Babcock.

Country served Name Born Died Notes
 Australia John Campbell Ross 11 March 1899 3 June 2009 (110) Last Australian digger and the last veteran of any status to serve Australia in the conflict. Joined in early 1918 as wireless operator, but did not see action. Served in Home Guard in World War II. Australia's oldest person. Lived in Bendigo, Victoria.[39][40][41][42]
Canada Canada John Babcock 23 July 1900 18 February 2010 (109) Last Canadian veteran. Declined state funeral. Joined in 1916. Served first in 146th, CEF, then transferred to Boys Battalion. Completed training in UK but did not see action due to age. Moved to US in 1924. Lived in Spokane, Washington.[43][44][45][46]
 United Kingdom Henry Allingham 6 June 1896 18 July 2009 (113) Last airman. Served in the 12 Squadron RNAS (later RAF). Joined in 1915 as mechanic. Last veteran of the Battle of Jutland. World's oldest man and oldest ever British man. Oldest veteran ever to see action. Lived in Brighton, Sussex.[47][48][49]
 United Kingdom Claude Choules 3 March 1901 5 May 2011 (110) Last living combatant of World War I.[50] Last seaman. Last veteran who served in both World Wars. Last male veteran. Joined in 1916. Last witness to the German Naval surrender. Moved to Australia in 1926 and served with Royal Australian Navy in World War II. Lived in Perth, Western Australia.[51][52][53]
 United Kingdom Florence Green 19 February 1901 4 February 2012 (110) Last female veteran and last officially recognized veteran. Worked as a waitress in the Royal Air Force; the Women's Royal Air Force.[54] Lived in North Lynn, Norfolk. Not recognized as a veteran until 2008.[55]
 United Kingdom Netherwood Hughes 12 June 1900 4 April 2009 (108) Called up to the 51st Manchester Regiment in mid 1918 as truck driver. Did not see action as he was still in training. Lived in Accrington, Lancashire.[56][57]
 United Kingdom Harry Patch 17 June 1898 25 July 2009 (111) Last Tommy. Served in the British Army under the 7th Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. Last veteran to serve in trenches and to be wounded in action. Called up in 1916. Last survivor of Battle of Passchendaele. Fireman in World War II. Europe's oldest man upon death. Lived in Wells, Somerset.[58][59][60][61]
 United Kingdom Bill Stone 23 September 1900 10 January 2009 (108) Joined Royal Navy in 1918. Did not see action as he was still in training, but was also a World War II veteran. Lived in Reading, Berkshire at the time of his death.[62][63]
 United States Frank Buckles 1 February 1901 27 February 2011 (110) United States Army 1st Fort Riley Casual Detachment. Last American veteran. Joined in 1917. Ambulance driver near Western Front. Held prisoner in World War II as a civilian. Lived in Charles Town, West Virginia.[64][65][32]

Likely verifiable – 1 veteran who lived to 2009 or later

[edit]
Country served Name Born Died Notes
Japan Japan Jiroemon Kimura 19 April 1897 12 June 2013 (116) Probable last verifiable surviving Empire of Japan veteran and possible last verifiable surviving veteran from any combatant nation. Served as a conscripted soldier in an Imperial Japanese Army communications unit from April 1–June 30, 1918, posted to Nakano, Tokyo; saw no action. Oldest verified man in history at the time of his death, and the last verified surviving man to have been born in the 19th century. Service verified from official government records by gerontology researchers confirming his life history. Lived in Kyōtango, Kyoto Prefecture.[2]

Unverified World War I veterans – 4 possible veterans who lived to 2009 or later

[edit]

Listed here are the possible veterans who were not verified as a World War I veteran.

Country served Name Born Died Notes
 Italy Sante Dal Santo 8 September 1902 26 February 2009 (106) Claimed to have joined up in 1916 at the age of 14 as a "Digger" digging trenches and tunnels. Also served in World War II. Lived in Montecchio Precalcino.[66][67]
 Italy Carlo Dozzi 25 January 1901 30 May 2009 (108) Claimed to have joined up in 1917 at the age of 16 as a "Digger" digging trenches and tunnels. Also served in World War II. Lived in Maniago.[68]
 United Kingdom Harry Futcher 21 April 1904 27 May 2010 (106) Claimed to have joined up in 1918 at the age of 14 as a bandsman in the British Army serving in Egypt during the First World War. Lived in Dorset, England.[69][70]
 United Kingdom Douglas Edward "Doug" Terrey 23 June 1903 26 June 2010 (107) Claimed to have joined up in 1917 as bicycle courier delivering messages in the Southampton Military District. Served in Home Guard in World War II. Lived in Southampton, Hampshire.[71][72]

World War I era veterans – 8 veterans who lived to 2009 or later

[edit]

Listed here are those that joined the armed services after the Armistice date, but before the Treaty of Versailles was signed, or where there is debate on their join-date, or whose military service is sometimes viewed as outside the scope of "WWI", but are considered World War I-era veterans by the press or by their respective governments, or served in a related conflict.

Country served Name Born Died Notes
Brazil Waldemar Levy Cardoso 4 December 1900 13 May 2009 (108) Last Brazilian World War I-Era veteran, served in the Brazilian Army, joining in late 1918 but did not see action. Lieutenant Colonel in World War II. Last living Brazilian field marshal. Later lived in Rio de Janeiro.[73][74]
Finnish Socialist Workers' Republic Aarne Arvonen 4 August 1897 1 January 2009 (111) Last Red Guard veteran from the Finnish Civil War. Oldest Nordic person and Finland's oldest ever man. Last living Finn born in the 19th century. Lived in Järvenpää.[75][76][77]
Kingdom of Finland Lauri Nurminen 9 September 1906 20 February 2009 (102) Last White Guard and possibly last Finnish Civil War veteran. Served in Ernst Linders Satakunta army group. Lived in Valkeakoski, Finland.[78]
France Félix Maximilian Rostaing 27 December 1900 31 December 2009 (109) French World War I-Era veteran, served in the Franco-Turkish War. Re-enlisted in 1928 and served in China, Mali and Morocco. Lived in Capbreton, France.[79]
 German Empire Helmut Fink 18 March 1901 27 April 2009 (108) Last German Revolution veteran and last German World War I-era veteran, served in the Freikorps during the German Revolution of 1918-1919. Lived in Germany.[citation needed]
Poland Józef Kowalski 2 February 1900 7 December 2013 (113) Last World War I-era veteran, fought in the Polish Soviet War between 1919-21.[citation needed]
Poland Wilhelm Meisel 7 January 1904 3 June 2009 (105) Last Silesian Uprisings veteran, joined up in 1919 at the age of 15 and served for the Polish Army during the Silesian uprising until it ended in 1921. Lived in Poland.[citation needed]
 United States Robley Rex 2 May 1901 28 April 2009 (107) Last American World War I-era veteran, joined 5th Infantry Division in May 1919. Later moved to 28th Infantry. Served in Intelligence Unit. Lived in Louisville, Kentucky.[80][81][82]

Totals – 21 veterans who lived to 2009 or later

[edit]
  • Verified veterans – 9
  • Unverified veterans – 4
  • World War I-era veterans – 8

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "'Last' WWI service veteran dies". BBC News. 7 February 2012. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  2. ^ a b Gondo, Yasuyuki; Hirose, Nobuyoshi; Yasumoto, Saori; Arai, Yasumichi; Saito, Yasuhiko (1 December 2017). "Age verification of the longest lived man in the world". Experimental Gerontology. 99: 7–17. doi:10.1016/j.exger.2017.08.030. PMID 28847724.
  3. ^ Carman, Gerry (6 May 2011). "Last man who served in two world wars dies, 110". The Age. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
  4. ^ Juliette Funes (11 April 2013). "Montebello hosts exhibit commemorating 98th anniversary of Armenian Genocide". San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  5. ^ "Australia's oldest man and Digger Jack Ross dies aged 110". The Age. 3 June 2009. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
  6. ^ "Autriche" (in French). Ders Des Ders. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
  7. ^ De Vuyst, Pierre (10 September 2001). "Le dernier poilu s'est éteint". La Dernière Heure. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  8. ^ "Adieu au dernier poilu belge". La Dernière Heure. 19 September 2004. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  9. ^ Goldstein, Richard (24 February 2010). "..John Babcock, Last Canadian World War I Veteran, Dies at 109". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
  10. ^ O'Neill, Mark (3 March 2014). The Chinese Labour Corps. UK: Penguin Books.
  11. ^ Velinger, Jan (14 August 2003). "Oldest Czech legionnaire was never able to clear tarnished reputation". Radio Praha. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  12. ^ "jv.dk – Lokale nyheder – Haderslev – Sidste veteran var hædersgæst". 18 May 2015. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  13. ^ "france" (in French). Ders Des Ders. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
  14. ^ "Germany's 'last' WWI veteran dies". BBC. January 2008. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
  15. ^ "Franz Künstler, Veteran of 2 Wars, Dies at 107". The New York Times. 30 May 2008. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
  16. ^ "Outstanding ornithologist and a founder of Irish Wildbird Conservancy", The Irish Times, 19 January 2002
  17. ^ "Delfino Borroni: Italy's last surviving veteran of the First World War". The Times. 30 October 2008. Archived from the original on 2 February 2009. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
  18. ^ "佐々木安一さん106歳" [Yasuichi Sasaki 106 years old] (in Japanese). Sunday Yamaguchi. 15 September 2004. Archived from the original on 6 December 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  19. ^ Петнаестогодишњица упокојења Митрополита црногорско-приморског Г. Данила (1895–1993) (in Serbian). Serbian Orthodox Church. 12 September 2008. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  20. ^ "The last Great War veterans". RNZRSA. February 2003. Archived from the original on 22 May 2010. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
  21. ^ "Last of Newfoundland's WW1 vets passes away". CBC. 19 April 1999. Archived from the original on 31 January 2008. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
  22. ^ "Yakup Satar". The Times. 3 April 2008. Archived from the original on 12 May 2008. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
  23. ^ "Poland's WWI veteran Stanislaw passes away". Oman Tribune. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
  24. ^ "ROUMANIE" (in French). Ders Des Ders. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
  25. ^ Последний в мире ветеран Первой мировой живет в Донецке (фото) (in Russian). Интернет-газета Донбасса. 22 February 2008. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
  26. ^ "Oldest known Ukrainian Jew dies at 111". JTA. 5 January 2009. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
  27. ^ Racić, M. (27 June 2004). "Odlazak Polazak Poslednjeg Srpskog Solunca" (in Serbian). Kurir. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
  28. ^ "Last WW1 veteran dies". Taipei Times. 11 October 2003. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
  29. ^ Printing World (17 April 2000). "Longest serving Stationer dies at the wonderful age of 102". Archived from the original on 4 February 2009. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
  30. ^ Ashley, Mike (11 November 2010). "Collecting Crime: London Mystery Magazine – Part Two". Crime Time. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
  31. ^ "Last surviving veteran of First World War dies aged 110". The Telegraph. 7 February 2012. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  32. ^ a b Courson, Paul (28 February 2011). "Last living U.S. World War I veteran dies". CNN. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  33. ^ "Last Caribbean veteran of first world war dies at 105". The Guardian. 3 March 2003. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  34. ^ "First World War Service and Sacrifice; Gershom Browne, (1898-2000)". BlackHistoryMonth.org. 25 July 2022. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  35. ^ "Veteran of Great War dies at 102". The Irish Times.
  36. ^ "Evening Telegraph: News". Archived from the original on 25 November 2005.
  37. ^ "Last WWI veteran to be honoured". BBC News. 27 June 2006. Retrieved 25 August 2008.
  38. ^ "First World War veterans don't want state funeral". CBC News. 2 January 2007. Retrieved 5 February 2007.
  39. ^ "Last Aussie digger to fight in WWI dies". The Age. 18 October 2005. Retrieved 30 May 2007.
  40. ^ Turnbull, Jeff (11 March 2008). "Oldest Digger celebrates turning 109". news.com.au. Retrieved 6 November 2008.
  41. ^ "Australia's oldest man Jack Ross dies aged 110". theage.com.au. 3 June 2009. Retrieved 3 June 2009.
  42. ^ "Australia's oldest man, 110, dies". BBC News. 3 June 2009. Retrieved 3 June 2009.
  43. ^ "Oldest Canadian World War I veteran dies". WKOW. 18 February 2010. Archived from the original on 10 February 2013. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
  44. ^ "Canada's last WW I veteran dies". CBC News. 19 February 2010. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
  45. ^ Elliot, Ian (19 February 2010). "Last World War I vet Babcock dies at 109". The Kingston Whig Standard. Archived from the original on 20 February 2010. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
  46. ^ Geranios, Nicholas K (20 February 2010). "John Babcock, 108; Canada's last known veteran of WWI". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
  47. ^ Smith, David (29 October 2006). "Great War foes embrace as friends". The Observer. Retrieved 22 January 2007.
  48. ^ Mccaffrey, Julie (30 October 2006). "Old Enemies... New Friends". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 22 January 2007.
  49. ^ "Oldest WWI veteran dies aged 113". BBC News. 18 July 2009. Retrieved 18 July 2009.
  50. ^ Choules, Claude The Last of the Last Mainstream Publishing pg 11 (introduction) & pg 61
  51. ^ "Veteran, 107, is last man to serve in both world wars". Worcester News. 8 November 2008. Archived from the original on 24 January 2009. Retrieved 21 January 2009.
  52. ^ Booth, Gary (13 May 2002). "500 km by bike to demolish Albany". Navy News. Archived from the original on 11 December 2007. Retrieved 6 July 2007.
  53. ^ Agence France-Presse (27 July 2009). "Claude Choules says WWI was 'boring'". The Australian. Archived from the original on 25 May 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2009. Mr Choules was informed by his 80-year-old daughter Anne Pow over the weekend that the death of 111-year-old Harry Patch, Britain's last soldier who fought in the Great War's infamous trenches, had made him the country's sole survivor.
  54. ^ "Last WWI combat veteran Claude Choules dies aged 110". BBC News. 5 May 2011. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  55. ^ "Norfolk first world war veteran dies aged 110". Eastern Daily Press. 7 February 2012. Archived from the original on 3 October 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  56. ^ Kenyon, Lisa (20 June 2008). "Old Ned's still in top gear for his 108th milestone". Accrington Observer. Retrieved 14 August 2008.
  57. ^ Bingham, John (20 November 2008). "'New' First World War veteran comes to light through internet". The Telegraph. Retrieved 1 December 2008.
  58. ^ "WWI veteran celebrates 108 years". BBC Online News. 30 October 2006. Retrieved 22 January 2007.
  59. ^ "Veteran, 109, revisits WWI trench". BBC Online News. 29 July 2007. Retrieved 29 July 2007.
  60. ^ Patch, Harry; van Emden, Richard (2007). The Last Fighting Tommy. London: Bloomsbury. ISBN 978-0-7475-9115-3.
  61. ^ "WWI veteran Patch dies aged 111". 25 July 2009 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
  62. ^ Stone, Bill (11 January 2009). "Naval and Other Memories of William Frederick Stone". H.M.S. Hood Association. Retrieved 11 January 2009.
  63. ^ BBC News (29 January 2009). "Funeral of World War I veteran". BBC News. Retrieved 29 January 2009.
  64. ^ "Oldest Living Heroes Remembered". CBS News. 11 November 2006. Retrieved 22 January 2007.
  65. ^ Reynolds, Dean & Stuart, Elizabeth (2 December 2006). "Last WWI Veterans Get Their Due". ABC News. Retrieved 22 January 2007.
  66. ^ "Alpino Sante Dal Santo – il vecio dei veci" (in Italian). Mett Ivia. 8 May 2008. Archived from the original on 30 December 2008. Retrieved 26 January 2009.
  67. ^ Arbori, Giuseppe. "Sante dal Santo – Classe 1902" (in Italian). Ana Vicenza. Archived from the original on 16 June 2008. Retrieved 26 January 2009.
  68. ^ "Name "v3_s2ew_CONSULTAZIONE.mostra_pagina?id_pagina=373 "CARLO DOZZI" MANIAGO&hl=it&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=it" is longer than 30 chars" (in Italian). Retrieved 24 February 2009.[permanent dead link]
  69. ^ "East Dorset man celebrates 106th birthday". Daily Echo. 21 April 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  70. ^ "Obituary of Harry Futcher". Archived from the original on 26 January 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2010.
  71. ^ "Army remembers old soldier Doug". Southern Daily Echo. 27 June 2003. Retrieved 2 October 2008.
  72. ^ "105th birthday – Mr Douglas Terrey". Marchwood Parish Council. 28 September 2008. Archived from the original on 16 January 2009. Retrieved 18 November 2008.
  73. ^ Lacerda Ramalho, Henrique. "Waldemar Levy Cardoso" (in Portuguese). Rivkah. Retrieved 16 January 2009.
  74. ^ Cohen, Vivianne. "Testemunhas do Seculo" (in Portuguese). Terra. Archived from the original on 3 February 2007. Retrieved 21 January 2009.
  75. ^ Seppälä, Anu (24 December 1999). "Arska, entering his third century and NOT "growing old gracefully"". Helsingin Sanomat. Retrieved 30 May 2007.
  76. ^ Kauppinen, Perttu (6 August 2002). "At age 105, Aarne Arvonen still knows how to enjoy life". Helsingin Sanomat. Retrieved 30 May 2007.
  77. ^ HS, STT (16 January 2009). "Suomen viimeinen 1800-luvulla syntynyt kuoli". Helsingin Sanomat. Retrieved 19 January 2009.
  78. ^ Koikkalainen, Olli (5 March 2009). "The last freedom fighter buried with pine sword". Valkeakoski Sanomat. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
  79. ^ "Felix Rostaing – Un poilu d'Orient décédé le 31/12/2009" (in French). Pages 14-18 Forum. 24 February 2010. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  80. ^ Stapleton, Ellen R. (9 November 2003). "Ky.'s oldest veteran, 102, still devoted to service". The Enquirer. Retrieved 22 January 2007.
  81. ^ Senator McConnell, Mitch (12 May 2008). "Honouring Robley Rex". Govtrack. Retrieved 21 January 2009.[permanent dead link]
  82. ^ Shafer, Sheldon S. & Burba, Paula (28 April 2009). "Robley Rex, WWI-era vet, dies at age 107". The Courier Journal. Archived from the original on 20 January 2013. Retrieved 29 April 2009.