One of the Last World War I Veterans Dies at 109

[rgrking]

NORTH BALTIMORE, Ohio — The last World War I veteran in Ohio, and one of only three known remaining U.S. veterans of the conflict, has died.

J. Russell Coffey was the last WWI vet in the state, according to the Veterans Affairs Department. He died Thursday at the age of 109, said the Smith-Crates Funeral Home in North Baltimore, about 35 miles south of Toledo.

The funeral home did not say where Coffey died or the cause of death. He had been living in the Blakely Care Center, a nursing home.

Coffey, born Sept. 1, 1898, did not see action overseas. He enlisted in the Army while he was a student at Ohio State University in October 1918, a month before the Allied powers and Germany signed a cease-fire agreement.

Fox News Story

[Invictus]

NORTH BALTIMORE, Ohio — The last World War I veteran in Ohio, and one of only three known remaining U.S. veterans of the conflict, has died.

J. Russell Coffey was the last WWI vet in the state, according to the Veterans Affairs Department. He died Thursday at the age of 109, said the Smith-Crates Funeral Home in North Baltimore, about 35 miles south of Toledo.

The funeral home did not say where Coffey died or the cause of death. He had been living in the Blakely Care Center, a nursing home.

Coffey, born Sept. 1, 1898, did not see action overseas. He enlisted in the Army while he was a student at Ohio State University in October 1918, a month before the Allied powers and Germany signed a cease-fire agreement.

Fox News Story

My great grandfather fought with the Big Red One. Lots of respect for anyone that endured trench warfare and frontal assaults on a regular basis.

Rest in Peace Sir, God knows you've earned it.

[K.Ingraham]

The last actual AEF veteran of WW1, or for that matter, the last WW1 vet who actually served OCONUS died a couple of years ago.
The local rag made a big deal out of the last local WW1 vet to die, until some crass detail oriented pogue pointed out that his total time in service was less than one day.
He had the good fortune to be inducted on Nov.11, 1918. When the news came through, they stopped the train and discharged all of the mornings draftees right then & there!

[F50LRRP]

When I was a boy living in Lawrence, Kansas my dad used to have three gentlemen come over for dinner evry once in a while. One was a former Union Soldier who had fought Quantrill's Raiders. The other two had fought in the Spanish American war. My dad (a WWII OSS officer) and they used to sit around all evening drinking home brew and telling stories.

My grandfather, a WWI Infantryman, sometimes would join in if he had driven out from Kansas City.

Later, when I joined the Army, I served with a large number of WWII and Korean War veterans. Most of them were proud of their CIBs with two strars.

I guess my point is now there are no more Civil War Veterans or Spanish American War veterans or WWI veterans to learn from. The WWII veterans and Korean Warr veterans are dying off at an alarming rate and those of us the fought in Vietnam are now in our late fifties or sixties (or even older).

You youngsters better ask us about what it was like for us or you'll never know.

RLTW,

Mike

[rgrking]

I would really enjoy it if you did tell us a little about the "Old Times"

[GSXRanger]

I stand in awe when I am around old school warriors. Be it Vietnam, Korea... or in the RARE instance, that I get to talk to a WW2 Vet, my god, I turn into a sponge.

Any story that you can come up with, would be GREATLY welcomed on here... I know, speaking for myself... that I love to hear about experiences before I was a pup.

[Horned Toad]

One was a former Union Soldier who had fought Quantrill's Raiders.

Love to hear that side of the story if you remember anything.