Remaining ww2 veterans? - Historum

wowi132 · November 22nd, 2012, 11:12 AM

Hey there.
A couple weeks ago, something caught my mind...
In a few years, there may not... or, there wont be any more ww2 veterans left alive!

So out of curiosity i decided to search around for some facts as to how many vets were still alive today.
I managed to find some quite accurate data on vets in USA... i didnt manage to find anything on France or Britain though...

Around 2 million soldiers from ww2 are still alive today in USA.
Which is good! 2 million, thats half the size of my country!
I also managed to find some data on where they will be in 5, 10 and 15 years, aswell as how rapidly they are " passing away ".

Out of those 2 million that are alive today. 1 million will be alive in 5 years. 200 thousand in 10 years. And in 15 years there will be less than 30 thousand left.
They pass away at approx. 900-1100 a day.

Am i the only one that find this kind of sad?
you know, in 20 years we wont have a single person left to tell about ww2!
Hell, i even see a few veterans on Discovery and National Geographic once in a while.
I just find it sad to know that the last witnesses of such a great turning point in modern history, are passing away just like that...
When i have kids some day, they probably wont even get to see a ww2 vet on tv!

Share your thoughts with me.
Keep hate out please, if you think this is ridiculous, or you just hate the thread for some other reason, tell me in a polite way.
And if anyone of you feel the same way, feel free to share your thoughts

Patton · November 22nd, 2012, 11:34 AM

There is McDonald's near me where several WW2 vets have been meeting for breakfast every day for years. I don't frequent that restaurant much, but I every time I do I see them there. Thirteen years ago there were roughly 13-15 of them that number has dwindled to about five. Yet there they are, each and every day meeting and talking about the 'olden days' and sharing the same war stories over and over and there I am tuning out the bubblegum being blown on the public radio to hear a sweeter song. Soon, they won't be there anymore, but hopefully I'll be around for sometime to come. Always humbled I got to hear first hand stories from the great generation of men, warriors who sacrificed so much for the freedom of others.

The trick is to appreciate learn and respect these great men while they are still here.

Tulun · November 22nd, 2012, 12:35 PM

of course i'm not happy for any persons death but 1. it is natural that old people die and 2. i don't think ww2 was such a positive event so i don't mind if we will move on. when the last eyewitness will pass away it can truly become just history.

**bartieboy** · November 22nd, 2012, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patton

There is McDonald's near me where several WW2 vets have been meeting for breakfast every day for years. I don't frequent that restaurant much, but I every time I do I see them there. Thirteen years ago there were roughly 13-15 of them that number has dwindled to about five. Yet there they are, each and every day meeting and talking about the 'olden days' and sharing the same war stories over and over and there I am tuning out the bubblegum being blown on the public radio to hear a sweeter song. Soon, they won't be there anymore, but hopefully I'll be around for sometime to come. Always humbled I got to hear first hand stories from the great generation of men, warriors who sacrificed so much for the freedom of others.

The trick is to appreciate learn and respect these great men while they are still here.

Of course they rapidly decline in numbers, that's what happens when you have breakfast at the mc donalds every day for years.

It is a bit hard to imagine that the last veteran of ww1 died this year...

Baltis · November 22nd, 2012, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bartieboy

Of course they rapidly decline in numbers, that's what happens when you have breakfast at the mc donalds every day for years.

It is a bit hard to imagine that the last veteran of ww1 died this year...

I recently watched a documentary called 'last voices of ww1'. It was really interesting to see. Well, to hear is more descriptive.

wowi132 · November 22nd, 2012, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tulun

of course i'm not happy for any persons death but 1. it is natural that old people die and 2. i don't think ww2 was such a positive event so i don't mind if we will move on. when the last eyewitness will pass away it can truly become just history.

Yeah you're right.
We might finally be able to move on.
But i still find it kind of sad, to know that the last remnants of so big an event, will soon be gone...

**tjadams** · November 22nd, 2012, 09:22 PM

I would think the average age of WWII vets, for the US at least, would be about 88-90
I don't see many lasting fifteen years.

**okamido** · November 22nd, 2012, 09:42 PM

It was just in the news, that the oldest female vet from WWII just passed away...at 104. Her name was Irene Davey, and she had enlisted on the same day as her husband. I don't know if it is completely germane to th topic at hand, but I recently read it and thought that some may be interested.

wowi132 · November 23rd, 2012, 12:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjadams

I would think the average age of WWII vets, for the US at least, would be about 88-90
I don't see many lasting fifteen years.

considering that the last ww1 vet died when he was 113 years old, i would definetly say it is a possibility.

**Spartacuss** · November 23rd, 2012, 03:05 AM

All the WWII vets in my family have long since passed. The last of that generation that remains is my mother-in-law, who was 18 when the US entered the war.