RIP: Harry Landis

Harry Richard Landis
12 Dec 1899 - 4 Feb 2008

The next-to-last US veteran of World War I has died. ZUI this article from Fox News:

Harry Richard Landis, who enlisted in the Army in 1918 and was one of only two known surviving U.S. veterans of World War I, has died. He was 108.

Landis, who lived at a Sun City Center nursing home, died Monday, according to the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs.

The remaining U.S. veteran is Frank Buckles, 107, of Charles Town, W.Va., according the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. In addition, John Babcock of Spokane, Wash., 107, served in the Canadian army and is the last known Canadian veteran of the war.

Another World War I vet, Ohioan J. Russell Coffey, died in December at 109. The last known German World War I veteran, Erich Kaestner, died New Year's Day at 107.

Landis trained as a U.S. Army recruit for 60 days at the end of the war and never went overseas. But the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs counts him among the 4.7 million men and woman who served during the Great War.

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He signed up to fight the Germans again in 1941, but at age 42 was rejected as too old.

"I registered, but that's all there was to it," Landis said.

Also, ZUI this article from Talking Proud, which has photos of Messrs Landis, Buckles and Coffey, and of the last few US WWI veterans who have died.