And the Great War passes into recorded history

[eric_hinkle]

Last WW1 combat veteran dies in Australia.

Rest easy, sir; you've earned it.

I feel like I ought to be saying something else here about this, but for the life of me I can't think of anything. Maybe I'll just go and read something from my collection of Kipling's poetry instead.

Best all.

Comments

[polaris93]

R.I.P. Claude Choules -- Lord knows, of anyone, you've certainly earned the rest. And may you know eternal peace and joy. :-)

There is one poem -- sort of -- from World War 2 that might fit as epitaphs for all such good soldiers:

[Name]
b. ---
d. ---

When he gets to Heaven
St. Peter he will tell:
“One more Marine reporting, sir -
I’ve done my time in Hell.”

(Epitaph originally found in a cemetery at Lunga Point, Guadalcanal, on the headstone of the grave of a US Marine fallen in action against the Japanese during World War II.)

[eric_hinkle]

Someone somewhere else gave me this response:

The Ode of Remembrance

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
Lest we forget.

[polaris93]

That's hauntingly beautiful. Thank you. :-)

[redvixen]

A war is a horrible experience for anyone to live through. He was 14 when he enlisted. Even though at that time 14 was considered to be the age a boy became a man, he lost his childhood too fast. I cannot imagine how he made his adult life into something good with those sort of memories.

He ranks up there with all the heroes of that war.

Rest easy is probably the best sentiment to give him.