Last surviving United States war veterans

This is an incomplete list of the last surviving veterans of American wars. The last surviving veteran of any particular war, upon their death, marks the end of a historic era. Exactly who is the last surviving veteran is often an issue of contention, especially with records from long-ago wars. The "last man standing" was often very young at the time of enlistment and in many cases had lied about his age to gain entry into the service, which confuses matters further.

17th century

American Indian Wars (1622–1774)

• Samuel Murphy (1758–1851) — Virginia colonists. Last participant of Lord Dunmore's War[1]
• Noah Johnson (1698–1798) — New England colonists. Last participant of Lovewell's War[2][3]

18th century

French and Indian War (1754–1763)

• John Owen (1741–1843) — British Army. Enlisted in 1758. Also fought in the Revolutionary War.[4][5]
• Jonathan Benjamin (1738–1841) — British Army. Also fought in the Revolutionary War.[6]

A photograph of Daniel Frederick Bakeman (1759–1869).

A photograph of Lemuel Cook (1759–1866) published in The Last Men of the Revolution, one of the last official veterans of the American Revolutionary War who enlisted in the 2nd Continental Light Dragoons, Continental Army.

The book The Last Men of the Revolution (1864), compiled by Rev. E. B. Hillard and published by N. A. & R. A. Moore, claimed to include photos and biographies of six of the last surviving Revolutionary War veterans. None of the men interviewed in the book would become the last surviving Revolutionary War veteran but the photos published in the book are some of the few surviving photos of American Revolutionary War veterans.[7]

American Revolutionary War (1775–1783)

• Daniel Frederick Bakeman (1759–1869) — Continental Army. Last veteran drawing a pension awarded by Congress; granted a pension in 1867 even though he could not prove his service.[8]
• Elijah Churchill (1755–1841) — Continental Army. Last Badge of Military Merit recipient.
• Lemuel Cook (1759–1866) — Continental Army. Served with the 2nd Light Dragoons at Brandywine.
• Samuel Downing (1761–1867) — Continental Army. Fought at Saratoga.[9][10]
• John Gray (1764–1868) — Continental Army. Last verifiable veteran. Served at Yorktown. Six month service period was too short to qualify for pension.[11] Granted a pension in 1867.
• James Robinson (1753–1868) — Continental Army. Claimed last African American veteran. Served at Yorktown and Battle of Brandywine. Awarded Gold Medal of Valor.[12][13][14][15]
• William Richardson （1765-1873） Served from Age 17 in Border Wars and also in War of 1812. Also listed in 1929 DAR Publication Official Roster Soldiers of the American Revolution Buried in the State of Ohio [p.307][16]
• Nicholas Gerrit Veeder (1761-1862) New York militiaman[17]

American Indian Wars (1775–1924)

• Frederick Fraske (1872–1973) — U.S. Army. Last Army veteran.[18]
• John Daw (1870–1965) — U.S. Army. Last Indian Scout.[19][20]
• Dewey Beard (1857–1955) — Lakota Tribe. Last Native American participant of the Battle of the Little Big Horn. Also survived Wounded Knee.[21][22]
• John Winchell Cullen (1838–1939) — U.S. Army. Fought in the Yakima War.[23][24]
• Henry L. Riggs (1812–1911) — U.S. Army. Served in the Black Hawk War.[25]

Shays' Rebellion (1786–1787)

• David Whitney (1767–1867) — Massachusetts State Militia.[26]

Whiskey Rebellion (1791–1794)

• Michael Edwards (1767?–1876) — Pennsylvania State Militia.[27]

19th century

War of 1812 (1812–1815)

• Hiram Cronk (1800–1905) — U.S. Army.[28]
• James Hooper Jr. (1804–1898) — U.S. Navy. Served on the schooner Comet during the Battle of Baltimore.[29][30]

Toledo War (1835–1836)

• Lewis W. Pearl (1815–1914) — Michigan State Militia. Later served in the Mexican-American War and the Civil War.[31][32]

Texas Revolution (1835–1836)

• William Physick Zuber (1820–1913) — Texian Army.[33][34]

Dorr Rebellion (1841–1842)

• Wanton Briggs (1821–1923) — Rhode Island State Militia. Last "Charterite".[35][36]

Bear Flag Revolt (1846)

• John Grider (1826–1924) — California Republic Militia.[37][38]

Mexican–American War (1846–1848)

• Owen Thomas Edgar (1831–1929) — U.S. Navy. Served on USS Potomac and USS Allegheny.[39]
• William Fitzhugh Buckner (1828–1929) — U.S. Army. Fought at Taos.[40][41]

Bleeding Kansas (1854–1861)

• Israel Adam Broadsword (1846–1952) — Free-Stater. Joined a Kansas Home Guard unit in 1859 to protect against raids. Later served in the Civil War.[42]^:857
• John Brown (1844–1940) — Border Ruffian. Participated in the Lawrence Massacre with Quantrill's Raiders.[43][44]

American Civil War (1861–1865)

• Albert Henry Woolson (1850–1956) — Union Army. Last verified Union veteran.[45]
• James Albert Hard (1841–1953) — Union Army. Last combat veteran. Served at First Bull Run, Antietam, and Chancellorsville.[46]
• Pleasant Riggs Crump (1847–1951) — Confederate Army. Last verified Confederate veteran. See Last surviving Confederate veterans.
• Alden G. Howell (1841–1947) — Confederate Army. Last commissioned Confederate officer.[42]^:1008[47]^:1458
• James Frederick Lyon (1843–1946) — Union Army. Last commissioned Union officer.[42]^:1007
• William Sickles (1844–1938) — Union Army. Last Medal of honor recipient.

Korean Expedition (1871)

• William F. Lukes (1847–1923) — U.S. Navy. Served on USS Colorado. Last Medal of honor recipient.

Spanish–American War (1898)

• Jones Morgan (1882–1993) — U.S. Army. Claimed to have served in the 9th Cavalry.
• Jasper Garrison (1880–1987) — U.S. Army. Last verified veteran.[48]
• Jesse D. Langdon (1881–1975) — U.S. Army. Last member of the Rough Riders.[49][50]
• John Davis (1877–1970) — U.S. Navy. Served on USS Marblehead. Last Medal of Honor recipient.

Second Samoan Civil War (1898–99)

• Bruno Albert Forsterer (1869–1957) — U.S. Army. Last Medal of Honor recipient.

Banana Wars (1898–1934)

• Donald Leroy Truesdell (1906–1993) — U.S. Marine Corps. Served in Nicaragua. Last Medal of Honor recipient.
• Herman H. Hanneken (1893–1986) — U.S. Marine Corps. Served in Haiti. Last Medal of Honor recipient.
• George M. Lowry (1889–1981) — U.S. Navy. Served on USS Florida at Veracruz. Last Medal of Honor recipient.
• Roswell Winans (1887–1968) — U.S. Marine Corps. Served in Dominican Republic. Last Medal of Honor recipient.

Boxer Rebellion (1899–1901)

• Nathan E. Cook (1885–1992) — U.S. Navy.[51]
• Walter Pleate (1876–1985) — U.S. Army. Also served in the Philippine–American War.[52]
• William Seach (1877–1978) — U.S. Navy. Served on USS Newark. Last Medal of Honor recipient.

Philippine–American War (1899–1902)

• Nathan E. Cook (1885–1992) — U.S. Navy. Served on USS Pensacola.[53][51]
• Walter Pleate (1876–1985) — U.S. Army.
• John Thomas Kennedy (1885–1969) — U.S. Army. Last Medal of Honor recipient.

20th century

Border War (1910–1919)

• Samuel Goldberg (1900–2006) — U.S. Army.[54]

World War I (1914–1918)

• Frank Woodruff Buckles (1901–2011) — U.S. Army. Last U.S. veteran, served with the 1st Fort Riley Casual Detachment.[55]
• Lloyd Brown (1901–2007) — U.S. Navy. Served on USS New Hampshire.
• Howard Ramsey (1898–2007) — U.S. Army. Last combat veteran.[56]
• Albert Wagner (1899–2007) — U.S. Marine Corps. Served in the 6th Marine Regiment [57]
• Edouard Izac (1891–1990) — U.S. Navy. Served on USS Florida and USS President Lincoln. Last Medal of Honor recipient.
• Henry Forster (1889–1989) — Aéronautique Militaire. Last American member of the La Fayette Escadrille.[58]

Pancho Villa Expedition (1916–1917)

• Mark Matthews (1894–2005) — U.S. Army.[59]

Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War (1918–1925)

American and other Allied forces were involved in the Polar Bear Expedition which began during World War I and continued into the Russian Civil War

• Warren V. Hileman (1901–2005) — U.S. Army. Served in the 27th Infantry Regiment as part of the American Expeditionary Force Siberia.[60]
• Harold Gunnes (1899–2003) — U.S. Navy. Served on USS Olympia. Also attached to the 339th Infantry Regiment as part of the Polar Bear Expedition.[61]

Spanish Civil War (1936–1939)

• Delmer Berg (1915–2016) — International Brigades. Volunteered in 1938. Served in anti-aircraft in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade.[62][63]

World War II (1939–1945)

• Frank S. Losonsky (1920–2020)[64] — American Volunteer Group. Last member of the Flying Tigers. Enlisted in the USAAC in 1939. Joined the AVG in 1941.[65]
• Richard E. Cole (1915–2019) — U.S Army. Last participant of the Doolittle Raid (Jimmy Doolittle's co-pilot). Served in the Army Air Forces.
• Carl Kice Brown (1917–2017) — American Volunteer Group. Last pilot of the Flying Tigers. Joined in 1941.[66]
• Steve Pisanos (1919–2016) — RAF. Last pilot of the Eagle Squadrons. Joined in 1941.[67]
• Joseph Langdell (1914–2015) — U.S Navy. Last commissioned officer of USS Arizona.[68]
• Lamar Crawford Sr (1920–2011) — U.S. Marine Corps. Last Marine of USS Arizona.[69]
• Bill Bower (1917–2011) — U.S Army. Last pilot of Doolittle Raid. Served in the Army Air Forces.

See also

• Military history of the United States
• List of last surviving veterans of military insurgencies and wars
• List of last surviving veterans of military operations
• List of last surviving Canadian war veterans
• Last European veterans by war

References

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