When the United States entered the war in April 1917, Frank Buckles was eager to enlist.

 

After being rejected by the Marines for being too small, and the Navy for being flat footed, he tried the Army and was accepted -- although he was not exactly honest about his age. He was only 16, but his persistence paid off...

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In his last years, Frank Buckles was Honorary Chairman of the World War I Memorial Foundation. As chairman, he advocated the establishment of a World War I memorial similar to other war memorials in Washington, D.C.. He campaigned for the existing District of Columbia War Memorial be renamed the National World War I Memorial, and testified before Congress in support of this cause.

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One of more than 4 million Americans to serve in World War I, Buckles passed away in 2011 at the age of 110 -- America's last surviving WWI "Doughboy."  It was not until 2013 that the WWI Centennial Commission was formed to raise private funds for a National WWI Memorial in Washington.

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America's last surviving doughboy's dream will be fulfilled on November 11, 2018, when the new WWI National Memorial is dedicated on the site where the D.C. War Memorial was located.

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Although all the doughboys are now gone, Frank Buckles' persistence has ensured that they will not be forgotten...