I hope they last longer than that VA projection.

More than 16 million Americans served in World War II, and it is estimated that they are dying at the rate of about 555 a day. A little over a million survive.

In the not so distant figure, the greatest generation will be gone. It has been an honor to have been able to spend some time speaking with some. I will be forever humbled by their sacrifice.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/anne-arundel/annapolis/bs-md-honor-salute-20140503-story.html#ixzz30nvq6xeu

We need his stories

If a guy turned 18 in 1945

he would be born in 1927

So he would be 88 today.

Very few men from the "smoke 'em if you got 'em" era live to be 100, so you can expect to have only a tiny handful left at 2027.

The Germans were putting 12 year olds into combat as Berlin fell, so they're going to last another couple of years longer.


don't forget also that most servicemen during WWII were technically support troops, I think the ratio was 10 to 1

so the number of actual combat vets is 1/10 of the surviving servicemen

My uncle, Marion 'Rusty' March, Capt. USMC, passed away 6.21.15 2 months shy of his 100th birthday. He was the last surviving member of VMF 214 when it was the Blacksheep Squadron. He was with them during their second tour, from Nov '43 to Jan '44.