The Last Man In Service
The last British veteran of the First World War helped kick off the annual poppy appeal - a fundraiser for the British equivalent of the American Legion, the Royal British Legion. Harry Patch, 109, helped get his local appeal started in a ceremony in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset.
Harry Patch, 109, who served during the 1917 Passchendaele offensive and was in the Auxiliary Fire Service in the Second World War, was guest of honour in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, where a cannon blast marked the start of the commemorations.
Speaking afterwards, Mr Patch, from Wells, said: "I have been to many such occasions, and at each one I feel humbled that I should be representing an entire generation.
"Today is not for me, it is for the countless millions who did not come home with their lives intact. They are the heroes. It is also important we remember those who lost their lives on both sides."
Mr Patch was called up for service in 1917, aged 18, when he was working as an apprentice plumber in Bath. A few weeks later he was thrown into one of the Great War's bloodiest battles, at Passchendaele, near the Belgian town of Ypres. During the fighting he was badly wounded by a shell blast which killed three of his friends.
109, the last veteran of the war - and still in service to others. Thank you for your example, Mr. Patch. In the United States, the American legion Auxiliary will begin their poppy appeal soon. Please, when you see a volunteer with the poppies in front of a store, make a donation.
World news | Gaius Sunday, 28 October , 2007
By feeblemind, Sunday, 28 October , 2007 @ 9:44 pm
Great post, Gaius.