Diane and List, before I hit the delete key on this message, I just had to write a note and put in my feelings, too- you sound so bitter, Diane - and I don't know why, but I hope you were just having a bad day - or perhaps this subject hits a nerve with you due to something related to it in your family,etc. I hope you realize that the way your email sounded, it hurt a lot of us with grandfathers and other family who fought in that [and every] war. I know of men who were in battle only weeks, before having to be hospitalized - but that doesn't mean they also shouldn't be honored. Some of those in the military came home alive, but they were forever changed. Putting on a uniform and vowing to head into the unknowns of wartime is not something anyone can imagine unless they were there. It does no good to continue the strife - please reconsider the feelings of many others who are proud of their ancestors who have been blessed with a long life. And in the U.S.A., we do honor those who died in the battle - that is what our Veterans Day is for: the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month - and we hold all our veterans in honor on Memorial Day. God bless them all, Linda ----- Original Message ----- From: Diane wynne To: greatwar@rootsweb.com Sent: Saturday, April 07, 2007 6:05 PM Subject: Re: [GREATWAR] Surviving WWI Veterans - are they alive? I couldn't care less how many so called veterans are still alive. Any of these are unlikely to have fought in any of the really dreadful battles where millions of young men lost their lives. These veterans should count themselves lucky. As to giving the last survivor a state funeral, I find this really sick. Again what about the millions who died fighting; they are the ones who should be honoured. Diane

For your information my grandfather and my great-uncles were all volunteers in WW1 and all saw active service for the duration - 1914 to 1918. My grandfather fought in the trenches in France and Belgium, including the battles of the Somme and Ypres. He was blown up and gassed but was lucky enough not to be badly hurt; he lived to the age of 82. He never spoke of the horror of it all - the majority didn't. I never said that the men who fought shouldn't be honoured and I think that there should be a far better way of honouring the men who fought than to give a state funeral to just one survivor who may not have even seen active service. I doubt my grandfather would feel very honoured by that. Diane