[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Pages 4301-4302]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       REMEMBERING FRANK BUCKLES

  Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Madam President, I was honored to participate in the 
events at Arlington National Cemetery to pay tribute to Frank Woodruff 
Buckles, the last surviving American World War I veteran and the 
representative of the lost generation of our ``Doughboys.'' It was a 
moving afternoon standing with so many on the knoll and seeing Frank 
Buckles buried in section 34, in sight of General Pershing's grave and 
among many other World War I veterans. I also thought about the 
American flags at half mast in our embassies in the countries of our 
World War I allies.
  Honestly though, the way I want to remember Frank Buckles is in his 
study, surrounded by books and telling amazing stories about the 
adventures of his life. Frank Buckles' rich and colorful life is now 
part of our national history, our national consciousness and our 
national effort to pay tribute to the men and women who died in the 
most significant wars of the last century.
  Frank's effort to join the Army was a deliberate commitment to join 
military service and he was eager to get to Europe. He loved the Army 
and his service in World War I as an ambulance driver which exposed him 
to some of the worst horrors of that conflict.
  After his military service, Frank Buckles continued his efforts to 
engage the world. His life, a long sweeping arc across the last 
century, included an exciting and varied life where he traveled the 
world, working abroad and experiencing things that most of us can only 
read about. As if he hadn't endured enough suffering in the First World 
War, he would later spend 3 years as a civilian POW in World War II.
  When his days of being an active participant in two World Wars ended, 
he eventually settled into a quiet existence in Charles Town where his 
tractor, his farm, as well as his friends and family were enough to 
sustain him.
  As I got to know him, I learned that his deep appreciation for books 
and culture was an important part of who he was. He spoke multiple 
languages, enjoyed talking about culture more than he did war, and was 
thoughtful and interested to the end.
  To most of us though, Frank in the end amounted to so much more than 
just a man who had lived a life that was as interesting as it was 
unpredictable.
  Frank became a symbol for the entire war for the nearly 4.5 million 
U.S. soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines who defeated the Central 
Powers in the first Great War.
  As the last living connection to the First World War, his importance 
in our collective psyche grew with each passing year. He seemed 
impossibly stubborn and tough and his long and wonderful life made him 
all the more special.
  Towards the end of his life, more and more people understood just how 
privileged we all were to keep company with the last surviving 
Doughboy.
  He was a link to a long ago war, not forgotten but so far in the past 
that the pictures that we think of when we conjure up images are all 
grainy and tattered.
  It made it all the more amazing that Frank was the only man who could 
honestly look any of us in the eye and say ``this is what the war was 
like.''
  More than 116,000 Americans died in World War I. Frank was an adamant 
proponent of remembering these heroes by establishing a National World 
War I Memorial on the National Mall.
  I agree and support him on that effort which is why I am the proud 
sponsor of the bipartisan bill to truly honor our World War I veterans. 
The bill would create a commission to plan for

[[Page 4302]]

the upcoming centennial, and it would rededicate the DC memorial as the 
DC and National World War I memorial. It would also dedicate the 
National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, MO. I agree 
with Frank Buckles on the importance of remembering our veterans and 
want to say again here today: I am more determined than ever to make 
this happen and will not give up until we get that bill passed.
  Finally, I want to extend my sympathies again to Frank's daughter, 
Susannah Buckles Flanagan. She has lovingly looked after Frank and 
helped make sure his last years were lived with dignity and care.
  Frank, you will be missed.

                          ____________________