Bill Text: PA HR313 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Recognizing former Army Corporal Frank W. Buckles, America's last survivor of World War I, who died on February 27, 2011, at Gap View Farm near Charles Town, West Virginia, at 110 years of age.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Passed) 2011-05-25 - Adopted (199-0) [HR313 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2011-HR313-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 1964
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No. 313 Session of2011
INTRODUCED BY CLYMER, ADOLPH, AUMENT, BAKER, BARBIN, BARRAR, BEAR, BENNINGHOFF, BISHOP, BLOOM, BOBACK, BOYD, B. BOYLE, K. BOYLE, BRADFORD, BRENNAN, BRIGGS, BROOKS, R. BROWN, V. BROWN, BROWNLEE, BURNS, BUXTON, CALTAGIRONE, CARROLL, CAUSER, CHRISTIANA, COHEN, CONKLIN, D. COSTA, P. COSTA, COX, CREIGHTON, CRUZ, CURRY, CUTLER, DALEY, DAVIDSON, DAVIS, DAY, DEASY, DELISSIO, DELOZIER, DeLUCA, DENLINGER, DePASQUALE, DERMODY, DeWEESE, DiGIROLAMO, DONATUCCI, DUNBAR, ELLIS, EMRICK, EVANKOVICH, D. EVANS, J. EVANS, EVERETT, FABRIZIO, FARRY, FLECK, FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GABLER, GALLOWAY, GEIST, GEORGE, GERBER, GERGELY, GIBBONS, GILLEN, GILLESPIE, GINGRICH, GODSHALL, GOODMAN, GRELL, GROVE, HACKETT, HAHN, HALUSKA, HANNA, HARHAI, HARHART, HARKINS, HARPER, HARRIS, HEFFLEY, HELM, HENNESSEY, HESS, HICKERNELL, HORNAMAN, HUTCHINSON, JOHNSON, JOSEPHS, KAMPF, KAUFFMAN, KAVULICH, F. KELLER, M. K. KELLER, W. KELLER, KILLION, KIRKLAND, KNOWLES, KORTZ, KOTIK, KRIEGER, KULA, LAWRENCE, LONGIETTI, MAHER, MAHONEY, MAJOR, MALONEY, MANN, MARKOSEK, MARSHALL, MARSICO, MASSER, MATZIE, McGEEHAN, METCALFE, METZGAR, MICCARELLI, MICOZZIE, MILLARD, MILLER, MILNE, MIRABITO, MOUL, MULLERY, MUNDY, MURPHY, MURT, MUSTIO, MYERS, NEUMAN, OBERLANDER, D. O'BRIEN, O'NEILL, PARKER, PASHINSKI, PAYNE, PAYTON, PEIFER, PERRY, PETRARCA, PETRI, PICKETT, PRESTON, PYLE, QUIGLEY, QUINN, RAPP, RAVENSTAHL, READSHAW, REED, REESE, REICHLEY, ROAE, ROCK, ROEBUCK, ROSS, SABATINA, SACCONE, SAINATO, SAMUELSON, SANTARSIERO, SANTONI, SAYLOR, SCAVELLO, CULVER, SCHRODER, SHAPIRO, SIMMONS, K. SMITH, M. SMITH, S. H. SMITH, SONNEY, STABACK, STEPHENS, STERN, STEVENSON, STURLA, SWANGER, TALLMAN, TAYLOR, THOMAS, TOBASH, TOEPEL, TOOHIL, TRUITT, TURZAI, VEREB, VITALI, VULAKOVICH, WAGNER, WATERS, WATSON, WHEATLEY, WHITE, WILLIAMS AND YOUNGBLOOD, MAY 25, 2011
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, MAY 25, 2011
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing former Army Corporal Frank W. Buckles, America's
last survivor of World War I, who died on February 27, 2011,
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at Gap View Farm near Charles Town, West Virginia, at 110
years of age.
WHEREAS, Mr. Buckles was the last surviving United States
veteran of World War I according to the United States Department
of Veterans Affairs; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Buckles earned the World War I Victory Medal and
the Army of Occupation of Germany Medal and qualified for four
Overseas Service Bars; and
WHEREAS, In 1999, Mr. Buckles was awarded the French Legion
of Honor medal by then-French President Jacques Chirac; and
WHEREAS, In addition to his military service Mr. Buckles was
honorary chairman of the World War I Memorial Foundation; and
WHEREAS, Born Wood Buckles on February 1, 1901, in Bethany,
Missouri, Mr. Buckles enlisted in the United States Army,
without proof of age, on August 14, 1917, after having been
rejected by the Marines and the Navy; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Buckles adopted his uncle's name, Frank Woodruff
Buckles, when an Army sergeant insisted upon a middle initial;
and
WHEREAS, Mr. Buckles drove transport motorcycles and
ambulances in England in 1917 before serving as an ambulance
driver in France in 1918; and
WHEREAS, Following the armistice, Mr. Buckles was assigned to
transport several hundred prisoners of war back to Germany; and
WHEREAS, In January 1920, Mr. Buckles returned to the United
States and mustered out of the Army; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Buckles then pursued classes at a business
school and worked in cargo and passenger steamships; and
WHEREAS, During World War II, Mr. Buckles was a civilian
prisoner of war in the Philippines for 38 months, having been
captured by the Japanese while working for an American shipping
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company in Manila in December 1941; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Buckles married Audrey Mayo in California on
September 14, 1946; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Buckles ultimately settled in West Virginia,
where he farmed the 330-acre Gap View Farm; and
WHEREAS, A daughter, Susannah Buckles Flanagan, survives Mr.
Buckles; and
WHEREAS, Master sculptor George Marra of Tinicum, Bucks
County, is crafting a bronze sculpture of Mr. Buckles as a young
soldier leading his general's horse during the general's
battlefield funeral procession; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize former
Army Corporal Frank W. Buckles, America's last survivor of World
War I, who died on February 27, 2011, at Gap View Farm near
Charles Town, West Virginia, at 110 years of age; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to
Susannah Buckles Flanagan in care of the World War I Memorial
Foundation, 401 F Street, NW, Suite 324, Washington, DC 20001.
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