Harry Patch - The Last Tommy. 1898 - 2009

I would reflect what Phil said, and send my heart felt thanks and condolences to his family, I'm sure they are very proud of him along with his and other countries.

  Cam

Thanks for clearin' that up KajiMa. I thought the portrait was the latest head shot from Keith Richards..........

That war was awful.  Of course, they all are.  But that one in particular was gruesome and brutal.  My own grandfather also served in France at that time.  In one prolonged battle, my grandfather was the only survivor - German or American.  Thinking about that, it occured to me that my grandfather would have had to have prowled the battlefield looking for survivors, and then killing the ones he found that were in the "wrong" uniform.  I cannot imagine after so much bloodshed and violence going about finding the only other remaining people, and then killing them.  Yet, it was that or die because they were trying to do the same thing.  Afterwards, he rummaged what rations he could, picked up his machine gun and as much ammunition as he could carry, and walked to the most recent place he could remember there being Americans.  After a couple of days on his one man retreat from the front, he reached more Americans to give his report.  Once given, he was conscripted into the regiment he found and received orders to report to Verdoun.  No rest after that ordeal.  He was sent to what became the longest, bloodiest, deadliest battle in history.  As a machine-gunner, making him a prime target for the enemy.  He survived that battle too, to come home.  The extent of his aggression from the time he came home to the time he died was aimed at rabbits in his vegetable garden and for some reason Joe Garagiola when he was giving play-by-play of a Yankees or Mets game.  Many times my grandfather would turn off the sound on the TV if Joe Garagiola was doing commentary and flip on the radio to hear "someone who knew how to do play-by-play." 

Anyway, an awful war, carried out by citizen soldiers. 

Something that seems relevant: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJi41RWaTCs 

(Moderator, this is a YouTube link to a professionally recorded public radio performance that to the best of my knowledge carries the permission of the performer/author, John McCutcheon.  If that is insufficient protection, please delete.)

- Zurf

I have to thank Zurf for that fabulous link...if you haven't watched it yet...you really should!

Phill