THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY CLYMER, ADOLPH, AUMENT, BAKER, BARBIN, BARRAR, BEAR, BENNINGHOFF, BISHOP, BLOOM, BOBACK, BOYD, B. BOYLE, K. BOYLE, BRADFORD, BRENNAN, BRIGGS, BROOKS, R. BROWN, V. BROWN, BROWNLEE, BURNS, BUXTON, CALTAGIRONE, CARROLL, CAUSER, CHRISTIANA, COHEN, CONKLIN, D. COSTA, P. COSTA, COX, CREIGHTON, CRUZ, CURRY, CUTLER, DALEY, DAVIDSON, DAVIS, DAY, DEASY, DELISSIO, DELOZIER, DeLUCA, DENLINGER, DePASQUALE, DERMODY, DeWEESE, DiGIROLAMO, DONATUCCI, DUNBAR, ELLIS, EMRICK, EVANKOVICH, D. EVANS, J. EVANS, EVERETT, FABRIZIO, FARRY, FLECK, FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GABLER, GALLOWAY, GEIST, GEORGE, GERBER, GERGELY, GIBBONS, GILLEN, GILLESPIE, GINGRICH, GODSHALL, GOODMAN, GRELL, GROVE, HACKETT, HAHN, HALUSKA, HANNA, HARHAI, HARHART, HARKINS, HARPER, HARRIS, HEFFLEY, HELM, HENNESSEY, HESS, HICKERNELL, HORNAMAN, HUTCHINSON, JOHNSON, JOSEPHS, KAMPF, KAUFFMAN, KAVULICH, F. KELLER, M. K. KELLER, W. KELLER, KILLION, KIRKLAND, KNOWLES, KORTZ, KOTIK, KRIEGER, KULA, LAWRENCE, LONGIETTI, MAHER, MAHONEY, MAJOR, MALONEY, MANN, MARKOSEK, MARSHALL, MARSICO, MASSER, MATZIE, McGEEHAN, METCALFE, METZGAR, MICCARELLI, MICOZZIE, MILLARD, MILLER, MILNE, MIRABITO, MOUL, MULLERY, MUNDY, MURPHY, MURT, MUSTIO, MYERS, NEUMAN, OBERLANDER, D. O'BRIEN, O'NEILL, PARKER, PASHINSKI, PAYNE, PAYTON, PEIFER, PERRY, PETRARCA, PETRI, PICKETT, PRESTON, PYLE, QUIGLEY, QUINN, RAPP, RAVENSTAHL, READSHAW, REED, REESE, REICHLEY, ROAE, ROCK, ROEBUCK, ROSS, SABATINA, SACCONE, SAINATO, SAMUELSON, SANTARSIERO, SANTONI, SAYLOR, SCAVELLO, CULVER, SCHRODER, SHAPIRO, SIMMONS, K. SMITH, M. SMITH, S. H. SMITH, SONNEY, STABACK, STEPHENS, STERN, STEVENSON, STURLA, SWANGER, TALLMAN, TAYLOR, THOMAS, TOBASH, TOEPEL, TOOHIL, TRUITT, TURZAI, VEREB, VITALI, VULAKOVICH, WAGNER, WATERS, WATSON, WHEATLEY, WHITE, WILLIAMS AND YOUNGBLOOD, MAY 25, 2011

INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, MAY 25, 2011  

A RESOLUTION

Recognizing former Army Corporal Frank W. Buckles, America's

last survivor of World War I, who died on February 27, 2011,

at Gap View Farm near Charles Town, West Virginia, at 110

years of age.

WHEREAS, Mr. Buckles was the last surviving United States

veteran of World War I according to the United States Department

of Veterans Affairs; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Buckles earned the World War I Victory Medal and

the Army of Occupation of Germany Medal and qualified for four

Overseas Service Bars; and

WHEREAS, In 1999, Mr. Buckles was awarded the French Legion

of Honor medal by then-French President Jacques Chirac; and

WHEREAS, In addition to his military service Mr. Buckles was

honorary chairman of the World War I Memorial Foundation; and

WHEREAS, Born Wood Buckles on February 1, 1901, in Bethany,

Missouri, Mr. Buckles enlisted in the United States Army,

without proof of age, on August 14, 1917, after having been

rejected by the Marines and the Navy; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Buckles adopted his uncle's name, Frank Woodruff

Buckles, when an Army sergeant insisted upon a middle initial;

and

WHEREAS, Mr. Buckles drove transport motorcycles and

ambulances in England in 1917 before serving as an ambulance

driver in France in 1918; and

WHEREAS, Following the armistice, Mr. Buckles was assigned to

transport several hundred prisoners of war back to Germany; and

WHEREAS, In January 1920, Mr. Buckles returned to the United

States and mustered out of the Army; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Buckles then pursued classes at a business

school and worked in cargo and passenger steamships; and

WHEREAS, During World War II, Mr. Buckles was a civilian

prisoner of war in the Philippines for 38 months, having been

captured by the Japanese while working for an American shipping

company in Manila in December 1941; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Buckles married Audrey Mayo in California on

September 14, 1946; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Buckles ultimately settled in West Virginia,

where he farmed the 330-acre Gap View Farm; and

WHEREAS, A daughter, Susannah Buckles Flanagan, survives Mr.

Buckles; and

WHEREAS, Master sculptor George Marra of Tinicum, Bucks

County, is crafting a bronze sculpture of Mr. Buckles as a young

soldier leading his general's horse during the general's

battlefield funeral procession; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize former

Army Corporal Frank W. Buckles, America's last survivor of World

War I, who died on February 27, 2011, at Gap View Farm near

Charles Town, West Virginia, at 110 years of age; and be it

further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to

Susannah Buckles Flanagan in care of the World War I Memorial

Foundation, 401 F Street, NW, Suite 324, Washington, DC 20001.