My grandparents grew up in a time in which there were stil Civil War veterans alive.
I grew up knowing WWI veterans. I had neighbors who were veterans of WWII and Korea. I had a science teacher, Mr. Jackal, who was a Vietnam vet. I had colleagues who were Gulf War vets and I have met soldiers who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, slowly, but surely time marches on and the earth takes those from earlier conflicts. Photos and memories remain, but it isn't the same as knowing a person or listening to a voice.
You, the students of my school, live in a world in which there is only a single US surviving veteran from WWI, and he is 107-years-old. Follow this link to listen to a 3-minute interview with Frank Buckles. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90832136.
One day, like you and me, he will be gone, and those who served in the "war to end all wars" will be only memories.
