Here’s a Veterans Day story by former Fort Lewis marketing director, author and amateur historian Phil Raschke:
John Babcock of Spokane has the honor to be the last surviving veteran of the Canadian forces of World War I.
During WW I, Canadian forces numbered nearly 620,000 and suffered over 214,000 casualties. Today, only Babcock still remains standing.
At 107, he’s showing no signs of slowing down.
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John Babcock, right, and author Phil Raschke hold a photo of Babcock’s World War I unit – D Company, 146th Overseas Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force. The photo was taken Sept. 5, 1916 at Camp Valcartier near Quebec while the unit was en route to Nova Scotia for training and then deployment to England. Babcock is the last surviving Canadian veteran of World War I.
Photo courtesy of Phil Raschke.
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He needs a walker to get around, but he still enjoys going out to lunch with friends, chatting with visitors and receiving letters from queens and prime ministers.
In a recent interview, Babcock proudly noted he obtained his private pilot’s license at age 65 and his high school diploma at 95. Today, he delights in entertaining visitors by reciting the alphabet backwards, tapping out Morse Code messages and signing his name with either his right or left hand.
Back in 1916, Babcock was able to enter the military by looking older than his real age of 15. He trained with the 146th Overseas Battalion in Nova Scotia and then convoyed through U-Boat infested waters to England.
Upon arrival, his training continued near Brighton on the English Channel. Babcock’s favorite memory was a daily 6 a.m. march to the channel wearing only a long gray coat and canvas shoes. Upon arrival at the beach, all 1,300 soldiers would get “buck naked” and plunge into the cold water. To the watching civilians, it “was quite a sight,” Babcock said.
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