a veteran of the great war!Sorry but the link is not working,below is some of the report.[url]http://%20http://www.wpix.com/news/index.fhtml[/url] The Associated Press
CELINA, Tenn. -- The man recognized as the nation's oldest veteran, whose life took him from the hills of Tennessee to the front lines of France and back again, has died at the age of 112.

John Painter fought World War I with horses, then shod them as a blacksmith when he got back home. He died Thursday of a heart attack at his home in the north-central Tennessee community of Hermitage Springs.

He enlisted in the army in 1917 and his war service included leading horse-driven ammunition wagons to the front lines of World War I.

"He should be best remembered for having a long, rich life," said Wendell H. Gilbert, commissioner of Tennessee's Department of Veterans Affairs. "He served his country with great distinction. He was a very patriotic American."

A representative of the Bush administration was expected to attend Sunday's funeral, along with Gilbert and members of both Tennessee's congressional delegation and General Assembly. Gov. Don Sundquist also may attend.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs said Painter was believed to be the nation's oldest surviving veteran.

Painter's longevity earned him various honors, including France's Order of the Legion of Honor -- that country's highest honor. Only five other Tennesseans have received the award.