Frank Buckles, born February 1, 1901, in Missouri, was the last surviving
American World War I veteran, passing away on February 27, 2011, at age 110.
Enlisting in the U.S. Army at 16 by lying about his age, he served as an
ambulance driver in France. Later, during World War II, he endured three years
as a civilian prisoner in the Philippines. Buckles advocated for a national
World War I memorial in Washington, D.C., until his final years. His remarkable
life symbolized the enduring legacy of the "doughboys."
