Frank Woodruff Buckles America's Last Living World War I Veteran Ted Nettles, Mr. Buckles, and Ann Nettles Gary Gaskins (WV Ride Captain), Deb Smith-Gaskins, and Kelly Turner Mr. Buckles began serving in the Army when he was just 16.  He was part of the Army Ambulance Service and traveled first to England and then France.  He also became an escort for German prisoners of war during World War I.  After his military service, he eventually became employed by the steamship industry.  He traveled to the Philippines, where he became trapped when the Japanese invaded the country.  Buckles spent 3 1/2 years in a Japanese prison camp.  On Feb. 23, 1945, he was freed, along with 2,147 other prisoners, in a dramatic rescue by the 11th Airborne Division.   He was presented with the French Legion of Honor in 1999, and has received numerous other awards over the course of his long and fruitful life.    We were given the distinct honor of doing a Special Mission for Mr. Buckles in September '07.  We were allowed to visit him on April 12th, 2008, to present him with a cane that Ann and Ted Nettles (MD HOTH) made for him. These photos are from the cane presentation.