Navy Veteran Calvin Leon Graham became the youngest World War II soldier at the age of 12, and the youngest recipient of the
One of them was Sergei “Seryozha” Aleshkov, the youngest soldier of World War II.
At six feet tall, no one questioned his age. He was in fact, only 13 years old. SAN ANTONIO — On this Veteran's Day we are honoring the youngest living World War II veteran. Like many Americans, Bob Kelso signed up to fight in World War Two.
Momčilo Gavrić (Serbian Cyrillic: Момчило Гаврић; 1 May 1906 – 28 April 1993) was the youngest Serbian soldier; he became a soldier at the age of eight. Momčilo Gavrić in Loznica, 1914.
Henry William Murray, VC, CMG, DSO & Bar, DCM (1 December 1880 – 7 January 1966) was an Australian grazier, soldier, and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that can be awarded to members of the British and Commonwealth armed forces.
The people listed below are, or were, the last surviving members of notable groups of World War II veterans, as identified by reliable sources. About 70 million people fought in World War II between 1939 and 1945 and, as of 2022, there are still approximately 167,000 living veterans in the United States alone.
Calvin Leon Graham (April 3, 1930 – November 6, 1992) was the youngest U.S. serviceman to serve and fight during World War II. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, he enlisted in the United States Navy from Houston, Texas on August 15, 1942, at the age of 12.
Full conscription of men
On the day Britain declared war on Germany, 3 September 1939, Parliament immediately passed a more wide-reaching measure. The National Service (Armed Forces) Act imposed conscription on all males aged between 18 and 41 who had to register for service.
Joseph Eskenazi, the oldest living survivor of the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, was told by his doctor that a heart condition would prevent him from flying on an airplane to attend a ceremony this week at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans.
Maurice Herbert Rindskopf (1917–2011) was the youngest officer to ascend to command of a Fleet Submarine in World War II; and until his death, was the last living World War II submarine commander.
NEW ORLEANS — Family and friends gathered at the National WWII Museum on Saturday to remember Lawrence Brooks, who was the oldest surviving World War II veteran until his death on Jan. 5 at age 112. During the service, Brooks' flag-draped coffin was front and center.
Lieutenant General James M. Gavin, pictured here in 1964. Gavin was the youngest major general to command an American division in World War II, being only 37 upon promotion, and the youngest lieutenant general after the war, in March 1955.
Doss successfully rescued 75 men trapped at the top of the escarpment by lowering them with a special knot he knew. He had miraculously not been wounded and stayed in the fight with B Company. On May 21, Doss was wounded several times by grenade fragments and a sniper's bullet through his arm.
Audie Murphy. Commonly called the most decorated soldier of World War II, Maj. Audie Murphy receivedthe Medal of Honor, a Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, a Legion of Merit with Combat V, and two Bronze Stars with Combat V. Murphy's foreign awards were especially impressive.
Age limits
Army: 17 - 35. Coast Guard: 17 - 31. Marine Corps: 17 - 28. Navy: 17 - 39.
September 27, 2022: Calvin Leon Graham. Navy Veteran Calvin Leon Graham became the youngest World War II soldier at the age of 12, and the youngest recipient of the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. During World War II, it was not unusual for American boys to lie about their age in order to enlist.
The GI Generation and many of the Silent Generation gave birth to the Baby Boomers, who were born between 1945 and 1964. They were also called “War Babies,” because the men returning from WWII really missed their wives and sweethearts. The Boomer birth peak came in 1957 with 4.3 million live births.
Australia was the only English-speaking country which had such a system. The scheme established compulsory naval or military training for all Australian males between the ages of 12 and 26 who were British subjects.
The term "war child" is most commonly used for children born during World War II and its aftermath, particularly in relation to children born to fathers in German occupying forces in northern Europe. In Norway, there were also Lebensborn children.
The number of living Australian Second World War veterans has halved since 2019. According to a study by family search website Ancestry and YouGov, 7800 remain.
The last veteran who served in the trenches was Harry Patch who died on 25 July 2009, aged 111. The last Central Powers veteran was Franz Künstler from Austria-Hungary. He died on 27 May 2008 at the age of 107. The total number of people who took part in WWI is estimated by the Encyclopædia Britannica at 65,038,810.
Only one former Australian WWI veteran now remains alive. Wireless operator John Campbell Ross, 106, of Bendigo in Victoria, enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in February 1918 but the war ended before he saw active service.