Frank Buckles has Past

When I was young a priest did a sermon on the day the last living Civil War veteran died. He told the younger members of the congregations that we should take note when the last living veterans of World War I and World War II die. If we are lucky we will also see the last living veterans of Korea and Vietnam die.

I thought about that sermon last month when I heard Frank Buckles, the last living American World War I veteran passed away. Maybe it is because my father passed away recently, but this news story really stood out to me. He out lasted my father by a few months.

It is a strange thing to think about. This story did not make a big splash. I wonder what that says about us as a culture. We are happy to pay lots of attention to Charlie Sheen, but when it comes to war and history it seems to overwhelm us.