Lone World War I survivor 107 years old

“The forgotten war,” World War I, has but one lone surviving veteran, Frank Buckles, who turned 107 this month.

This bloody war, which was waged 1914-1918, resulted in nine million military deaths and 21 million wounded.

My grandfather, Eddie J. Vining, fought in that war and is buried in the Salt River Cemetery in Shepherd, Mich. Germany and Russia alone suffered 1.75 million casualties each. This was the war “to end all wars.”

Read more on the source of my inspiration in Newsweek, Feb. 18, 2008, at Boundary County Library.

Brad Burge

Bonners Ferry