[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Pages 3271-3272]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               RELATIVE TO THE DEATH OF FRANK W. BUCKLES

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to S. Res. 89.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.

[[Page 3272]]

  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 89) relating to the death of Frank W. 
     Buckles, the longest surviving veteran of the First World 
     War.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, today I want to honor the passing of 
America's last surviving veteran of the First World War, Mr. Frank 
Woodruff Buckles. It is important that we as a nation express our deep 
appreciation for the sacrifices that Mr. Buckles and his brothers-in-
arms endured for our country nearly a century ago. Men like Frank have 
fought in numerous battles in the defense of this Nation and have made 
sure that we as Americans are able to enjoy the quality of life that we 
so cherish.
  Mr. Buckles witnessed the world change dramatically throughout his 
lifetime and had experiences that most of us can only dream about. He 
saw the metamorphosis that defined the American social and cultural 
revolutions of the last century. As a young man, he served in the 
Army's ambulance corps in France and Germany, where he evacuated 
wounded soldiers from the battlefield. As a civilian during the Second 
World War, he spent more than three years in a Japanese prison camp in 
the Philippines.
  As a tribute to Mr. Buckles and for all the World War I veterans that 
he represents, we must remember all of his brothers and sisters who 
defended our country along with him. Nearly 4.5 million U.S. soldiers, 
sailors, airmen and Marines joined forces with over 37 million Allied 
soldiers to defeat the Central Powers. These service members witnessed 
atrocities such as gas warfare that were unprecedented at the time. 
Each and every one of them made their own significant contribution to 
the war effort that cannot be understated. This generation of dynamic 
and dedicated Americans was able to alter the course of history for the 
betterment of each and every one of us here today.
  As a tribute to Mr. Buckles, I have introduced a bipartisan 
resolution so he can lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda on March 14 to 
allow the American people to properly pay their respects. To further 
honor his generations' sacrifices, Mr. Frank Buckles will be buried at 
Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. President Obama 
has ordered all flags flown over government buildings be flown at half-
mast on this day as we mourn the loss of a citizen and a generation who 
will forever hold a place in our nation's history.
  I want to conclude by offering my deepest sympathies to Mr. Buckles' 
daughter, Susannah Buckles Flanagan. She has been the loving daughter 
at his side in recent years taking such good care of him which allowed 
him to live at home in dignity, surrounded by family and friends.
  As America's longest surviving veteran of World War I, Frank Buckles 
represented our final link to a generation that built a legacy as the 
defenders of the free world in the first large scale global conflict. I 
can promise you that his legacy and the legacy of all veterans will 
live on forever in the ideals and values that make America the 
strongest nation in the world.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution 
be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be 
laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any 
statements relating to the measure be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 89) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                               S. Res. 89

       Whereas Frank Woodruff Buckles is the last known American 
     World War I veteran, who passed away on February 27, 2011, at 
     the age of 110, and represents his generation of veterans;
       Whereas America's support of Great Britain, France, 
     Belgium, and its other allies in World War I marked the first 
     time in the Nation's history that American soldiers went 
     abroad in defense of liberty against foreign aggression, and 
     it marked the true beginning of the ``American century'';
       Whereas more than 4,000,000 men and women from the United 
     States served in uniform during World War I, among them 2 
     future presidents, Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower;
       Whereas 2,000,000 individuals from the United States served 
     overseas during World War I, including 200,000 naval 
     personnel who served on the seas;
       Whereas the United States suffered 375,000 casualties 
     during World War I, including 116,516 deaths;
       Whereas the events of 1914 through 1918 shaped the world, 
     the United States, and the lives of millions of people in 
     countless ways; and
       Whereas Frank Woodruff Buckles is the last veteran to 
     represent the extraordinary legacy of the World War I 
     veterans: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That--
       (1) the Senate recognizes the historic contributions of all 
     United States veterans who served in the First World War; and
       (2) when the Senate adjourns today, it stand adjourned as a 
     further mark of respect to the memory of Frank W. Buckles, 
     the longest surviving United States veteran of the First 
     World War.
       Sec. 2.  The Secretary of the Senate is directed to 
     transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to the family of 
     the deceased.

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I had the good fortune a short time ago, 
when we had a ceremony in the Rotunda of the Capitol, to meet Mr. 
Buckles and talk to him. It is amazing he had such vitality at such an 
old age. I am happy this matter is completed.

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