As far as I know only two commoners have ever been so honoured, wellington and churchill. Surely the last survivor of the great war ought to be so honoured as a tribute to all of those ordinary men for whom duty was spelled with a capital D?
2007-08-14 23:07:02 · 14 answers · asked by Aine G 3 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
would it be fair to give them a bigger send off than the rest just because they lived the longest ? i know where your coming from but maybe it wouldnt be fair on the rest.
2007-08-14 23:15:13 · answer #1 · answered by the dude 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I’m not currently up to date with the last people to have fought in World War One, as I remember a couple of years ago there were ten or thirteen remaining Tommies, though unfortunately it seems to have rapidly declined.
Harry Patch is the only one I know who is still alive, though I’m sure there was somebody older than him.
I fail to see exactly what a ‘state’ funeral will do other than ‘honour’ the memory? And give a pat on the back to relatives that never fought and allow them to feel pride and the country to rejoice in the spirit of the English which in my opinion has long since shrivelled and died.
We should have been honouring them -now-, we should be honouring them in life, because it’ll mean nothing to them when their dead.
I believe Harry Patch went to revisit war graves this July? I barely heard anything about it, though I understand it is going to form the basis of a documentary yet there was barely a murmur.
2007-08-16 22:57:23 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The third Commoner to recieve a State Funeral is the Unknown Soldier buried at Westminster Abbey here in London.
Yes. The last surviving veteran of WW-One should be given a State Funeral. It would be one way for the Nation to say a fond farewell to all of those who gave their lives for us. It would also be a reminder to us and the new generation of the sacrifice made on their behalf by an earlier generation, now gone.
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.
2007-08-15 03:58:11 · answer #3 · answered by Dragoner 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think some form of recognition would be good not necessarily for him but in recognition of all his comrades who fought and died in the killing fields on the Western Front and other battlefields of WW 1.
Incidentally I believe Harry Patch (the last survivor) was a front line soldier at the Battle of Passchendaele.
Perhaps this information will be of interest to those like 'Jose' who thought he might have been a desk jockey !.
2007-08-16 19:43:51 · answer #4 · answered by Rob Roy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
NO, this would be commemorating longevity not honouring the dead of the great war.. especially when they explain what he actually did because that could also become embarrassing especially if he sat behind a desk whilst the second to last to pass away was a pilot. This would certainly be brought to the medias attention and sour the good thought you just mentioned.
2007-08-14 23:22:29 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
The last surviving veterans of the Great War, have publicly stated they want NO State funeral!
Citing the reason that so many of their comrades died in WW1, who got no funeral and remained listing as missing.
The wishes of the veterans should be respected in this instance instead of turning a very sad occassion
and the end of a sad era into a media circus.
2007-08-15 01:17:03 · answer #6 · answered by conranger1 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I am sure the last survivor would rather see the money spent on retrieving the bodies of those who still lie in the fields of France because the powers that be in this country are too tight to pay for their recovery.
2007-08-15 04:45:18 · answer #7 · answered by one shot 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Greetings from eire Are you refering to the final WW1 survivor from the U. S.? or the 'final' survivor in the international? do no longer fall into the capture of framing questions interior a US context and forgetting relating to something human beings as did the guy who replied relating to State Governor etc.
2016-10-02 08:55:29 · answer #8 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When did we start burying survivors?
Edit: OK, apologies - you obviously mean when he dies. No, I don't think it would be fair to the rest of the guys who ended up as cannon fodder. I mean, this guy could have been a desk jockey, well out of harms way, whilst the second to last was in the trenches knocking the sh*it out of the Germans and REALLY putting his life on the line.
2007-08-14 23:30:46 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
Honor your vets yet I agree. He should be treated no differently however that does not mean show him not respect. Best thing you can do is give his next of kin your best regards.
2007-08-14 23:23:08 · answer #10 · answered by PeguinBackPacker 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋