The Last Of The Last

   Florence Green passed away Saturday in England at age 110. She had an incredibly long life, but aside being a super centenarian, why care? Because Ms. Green was the last documented veteran of World War One. And with her death, the final page in that war has been turned. True, she wasn't in uniform long, and needless to say did not see combat service. But she was the last link to the Great War. Florence joined the Women's Royal Air Force when she was just 17. That was September 1918, just 2 months before the War ended. She was a waitress in the Officers Mess at RAF Marham in Eastern England. But you know what? That shouldn't make a bit of difference. She WAS in uniform. She DID serve King and Country. And I feel she DESERVES respect. And I hope she gets a proper funeral. One any veteran should get.
   In fact, her status wasn't known until her official service records were found in the National Archives, and she was officially recognized as a veteran. The RAF marked her 110th birthday last February with a cake. She would have turned 111 on the 19th.
   It was just last May the last combat vet of that war, Navy man Claude Choules, died at 110. Harry Patch was the last one in the trenches. He died in 2009. The last Central Power's vet was Franz Kuntsler of Austria-Hungary who died in 2008.
   So, that just leaves Jozef Kowalski of Poland, who turned 112 February 2nd as the last confirmed World War One era veteran left on the planet. And records show he was not a participant in the war, but joined between the Armistice on November 11, 1918 and before the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.
   That's why we should care about people like Florence Green. She truly WAS the last of the last. May she rest in peace.
   'Nuff said.