PROFILBARU.COM

This is an incomplete list of the last surviving veterans of American wars. 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]

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.^[7]
John Gray (1764–1868) – Continental Army. Last verifiable veteran. Served at Yorktown. Six month service period was too short to qualify for pension.^[8] Granted a pension in 1867.
James Robinson (1753–1868) – Continental Army. Last African American veteran. Served at Yorktown and Brandywine. Awarded Gold Medal of Valor.^[9]^[10]^[11]^[12]
Lemuel Cook (1759–1866) – Continental Army. Last cavalryman. Served with the 2nd Light Dragoons.
Elijah Churchill (1755–1841) – Continental Army. Last Badge of Military Merit recipient.
William Richardson (1765–1873) – Claimed to have served in an Ohio militia and in a Continental Line.^[13]^[14]

American Indian Wars (1775–1924)

Frederick Fraske (1872–1973) – U.S. Army. Last Army veteran.^[15]
John Daw (1870–1965) – U.S. Army. Last Indian Scout.^[16]^[17]
Dewey Beard (1857–1955) – Lakota Tribe. Last Native American participant of the Battle of the Little Big Horn. Also survived Wounded Knee.^[18]^[19]
John Winchell Cullen (1838–1939) – U.S. Army. Fought in the Yakima War.^[20]^[21]
Henry L. Riggs (1812–1911) – U.S. Army. Served in the Black Hawk War.^[22]

Shays' Rebellion (1786–1787)

David Whitney (1767–1867) – Massachusetts State Militia.^[23]

Whiskey Rebellion (1791–1794)

Michael Edwards (1767?–1876) – Pennsylvania State Militia.^[24]

19th century

War of 1812 (1812–1815)

Hiram Cronk (1800–1905) – New York Militia.^[25]
James Hooper Jr. (1804–1898) – U.S. Navy. Served on the schooner Comet during the Battle of Baltimore.^[26]^[27]
Aaron Stafford (1787–1885) – Major, New York Militia. Last surviving veteran of the War of 1812 known to have held an officer's commission. Wounded at Battle of Queenston Heights.

Toledo War (1835–1836)

Lewis W. Pearl (1815–1914) – Michigan State Militia. Later served in the Mexican-American War and the Civil War.^[28]^[29]

Texas Revolution (1835–1836)

William Physick Zuber (1820–1913) – Texian Army.^[30]^[31]

Dorr Rebellion (1841–1842)

Wanton Briggs (1821–1923) – Rhode Island State Militia. Last "Charterite".^[32]^[33]

Bear Flag Revolt (1846)

John Grider (1826–1924) – California Republic Militia.^[34]^[35]

Mexican–American War (1846–1848)

Owen Thomas Edgar (1831–1929) – U.S. Navy. Served on USS Potomac and USS Allegheny.^[36]
William Fitzhugh Buckner (1828–1929) – U.S. Army. Fought at Taos.^[37]^[38]

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.^[39]^: 857
John Brown (1844–1940) – Border Ruffian. Participated in the Lawrence Massacre with Quantrill's Raiders.^[40]^[41]

American Civil War (1861–1865)

Albert Henry Woolson (1850–1956) – Union Army. Last verified Union veteran.^[42]
James Albert Hard (1843–1953) – Union Army. Last combat veteran. Served at First Bull Run, Antietam, and Chancellorsville.^[43]
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.^[39]^: 1008^[44]^: 1458
Henry Doll (1847–1947) – Union Navy. Last surviving Union sailor. Served on the USS Portsmouth and USS Brooklyn.^[45]
James Frederick Lyon (1843–1946) – Union Army. Last commissioned Union officer.^[39]^: 1007
James Burns (1845–1944) – Union Marine Corps. Last surviving Union Marine veteran. Enlisted 9 Sept 1862.^[45]
Samuel B. Grant (1845–1944) – Confederate Marine Corps. Last surviving Confederate Marine veteran. Served with the Marine Guard attached to the CSS Fredericksburg.^[45]
William Sickles (1844–1938) – Union Army. Last Medal of Honor recipient.
Aaron Daggett (1837–1938) – Union Army. Last surviving General of the Civil War.
Billy Rufus Stanford (1850–1937) – Confederate Navy. Last surviving Confederate sailor. Defended Columbus, Georgia during Sherman's March to the Sea with Company C of the Naval Battalion.^[45]
Adelbert Ames (1835–1933) – Union Army. Last surviving General of the Regular U.S. Army.
Oliver Otis Howard (1830–1909) – Union Army. Last surviving General to have held the permanent rank of a general in the regular U.S. Army.

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.^[46]
Jesse D. Langdon (1881–1975) – U.S. Army. Last member of the Rough Riders.^[47]^[48]
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. Marine Corps. 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.^[49]
Walter Pleate (1876–1985) – U.S. Army. Also served in the Philippine–American War.^[50]
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.^[51]^[49] Also served in Boxer Rebellion.
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. Cavalry.^[52]

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.^[53]
Lloyd Brown (1901–2007) – U.S. Navy. Served on USS New Hampshire.
Howard Ramsey (1898–2007) – U.S. Army. Last combat veteran.^[54]
Albert Wagner (1899–2007) – U.S. Marine Corps. Served in the 6th Marine Regiment.^[55]
Moses Hardy (1894–2006) – U.S. Army. Last African-American veteran.
James William Pearson (1895–1993) – Royal Air Force. Last American flying ace. Served in No. 23 Squadron RAF.
Arthur Raymond Brooks (1895–1991) – Air Service, United States Army. Last American flying ace to serve in a U.S. unit. Served in the 22d Aero Squadron.
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.^[56]

Pancho Villa Expedition (1916–1917)

Mark Matthews (1894–2005) – U.S. Army.^[57]

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.^[58]
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.^[59]

Spanish Civil War (1936–1939)

Delmer Berg (1915–2016) – International Brigades. Volunteered in 1938. Served in anti-aircraft in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade.^[60]^[61]

World War II (1939–1945)

Lou Conter (1921–2024) – U.S. Navy. Last surviving crew member of the USS Arizona.^[62]^{[note 1]}
Hershel Woodrow "Woody" Williams (1923–2022) – U.S. Marine Corps. Last Medal of Honor recipient.^[65]^{[note 2]}
Bradford Freeman (1924–2022) – U.S. Army. Last surviving member of Easy Company.^[67]^{[note 3]}
Frank S. Losonsky (1920–2020) – American Volunteer Group. Last member of the Flying Tigers. Enlisted in the USAAC in 1939. Joined the AVG in 1941.^[68]
Richard E. Cole (1915–2019) – U.S. Army Air Forces. Last participant of the Doolittle Raid (Jimmy Doolittle's co-pilot).
Carl Kice Brown (1917–2017) – American Volunteer Group. Last pilot of the Flying Tigers. Joined in 1941.^[69]
Steve Pisanos (1919–2016) – RAF. Last pilot of the Eagle Squadrons. Joined in 1941.^[70]
Bill Bower (1917–2011) – U.S. Army Air Forces. Last pilot of Doolittle Raid.
Lemuel R. Custis (1915–2005) – U.S. Army Air Forces – Tuskegee Airmen. Last surviving graduating member of original aviation cadet class, Class 42-C.^[71]

Korean War (1950–1953)

Ralph Puckett (1926–2024) – U.S. Army. Last recipient of the Medal of Honor for actions in the Korean War.^[72]
Charles G. Cleveland (1927–2021) – U.S. Air Force. Last flying ace.^[73]

Notes

^ Conter, an enlisted U.S. Navy sailor, is the last survivor of the sinking of the USS Arizona. The last survivor of the ship's Marine Detachment was Lamar Crawford (1920–2011).^[63] The last surviving commissioned officer was Joseph Langdell (1914–2015).^[64]
^ Williams was also the last surviving Marine recipient. The last surviving Army Medal of Honor recipient was Charles Coolidge (1921–2021). Coolidge was also the last surviving recipient who had been awarded the medal during the war.^[66]
^ Freeman was an enlisted soldier. The last surviving commissioned officer of Easy Company was Edward Shames (1922–2021).

References

^ "Man For Whom Murphy's Bottom Name Last Survivor of Lord Dunmore's War". Simpson's Leader-Times. 1973. p. 22. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
^ Green, Samuel Abbott (1893). Groton Historical Series: A Collection of Papers Relating to the History of the Town of Groton, Massachusetts. Vol. 3. S. A. Green. p. 367. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
^ Belknap, Jeremy; Farmer, John (1831). The History of New Hampshire. Vol. 1. S. C. Stevens and Ela & Wadleigh. p. 209. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
^ Cotton, Josh (July 22, 2017). "Colonial Intrigue: It's possible that the last surviving veteran of the French & Indian War is buried in Warren". www.timesobserver.com. The Times Observer. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
^ The American Almanac and Repository of Useful Knowledge for the Year 1844. Vol. 15. Gray and Bowen. 1843. p. 328. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
^ Niles' national register, Volume 61. Cambridge: Harvard University. 1841. p. 192.
^ Heitman, Francis Bernard (1982). Historical Register of Officers of the Continental Army During the War of the Revolution, April, 1775, to December, 1783. Genealogical Publishing Com. ISBN 978-0-8063-0176-1.(quoting the Annual Report of the Commissioner of Pensions for 1874: "With the death of Daniel T. Bakeman, of Freedom, Cattaraugus County, N.Y., April 5, 1869, the last of the pensioned soldiers of the Revolution passed away.")
^ Dalzell, James McCormick; Gray, John (1868). Private Dalzell, his autobiography, poems, and comic war papers, sketch of John Gray, Washington's last soldier, etc. R. Clarke. p. 189.
^ Franck, Michael S. (1996). Elmwood Endures: History of a Detroit Cemetery. Wayne State University Press. p. 50. ISBN 9780814325919.
^ Zaniewski, Ann (May 27, 2019). "151 years after death, enslaved Revolutionary War vet honored in Detroit". Detroit Free Press.
^ Layton, Andrew (June 23, 2019). "African-American Revolutionary War hero's legacy of diversity honored at Detroit gravestone dedication". Defense Visual Information Distribution Service.
^ Pitts, Jonathan M. (June 21, 2019). "Twice denied the freedom he'd fought for, black Revolutionary War hero from Maryland to be honored at last". Baltimore Sun.
^ Henderson, Frank D.; Rea, John R.; Dailey, Jane Dowd (1929). The official roster of the soldiers of the American revolution buried in the state of Ohio. F. J. Heering Printing Co. p. 307.
^ Longardner, Caroline Wells (June 27, 2021). "Memorial Grave Marking Service for PATRIOT WILLIAM RICHARDSON". The West Bend News. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
^ "LAST VET OF INDIAN WARS DIES AT AGE 101". Chicago Tribune. June 17, 1973.
^ Chicago Corral of the Westerners (1965). Westerners brand book, Volumes 22–25. Siedlce. p. 24.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^ "John Daw". Genealogy Trails. 2006. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
^ Hopkins, John Christian (March 11, 2006). "129 years after Little Big Horn". Gallup Independent. Archived from the original on October 27, 2010. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
^ Lawson, Michael L.; Rosier, Paul C. (2007). Little Bighorn: Winning the Battle, Losing the War. Infobase Publishing. p. 126. ISBN 978-0-7910-9347-4.
^ Oregon Historical Quarterly. Vol. 36 (3 ed.). Oregon Historical Society. 1935. pp. 299–304. JSTOR 20610950.
^ Pipes, Nellie B. (1939). Oregon Historical Quarterly. Vol. 40 (3 ed.). Oregon Historical Society. pp. 297–301. JSTOR 20611203.
^ "DEATH OF THE LAST SURVIVOR OF THE BLACK HAWK WAR". Vol. 14. Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society. 1922.
^ Pierce, Frederick Clifton (1895). Whitney. The descendants of John Whitney, who came from London, England, to Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1635. Press of W. B. Conkey Co. p. 153. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
^ "Local Intelligence". Intelligencer Journal. August 23, 1870. p. 2. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
^ Henley, Benjamin James (1911). The art of longevity ... Syracuse: New Warner Co. pp. 205–208.
^ Evans, Clay Henry (1898). "The Pension Problem". Munsey's Magazine. Vol. 19. Frank A. Munsey & Company. p. 698. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
^ "Society of the War of 1812". The Colonial Magazine. Vol. 1. Bosworth, Hyde & Hyde. 1895. p. 93. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
^ "Oldest Ranking Officer". National Tribune. May 23, 1907. p. 6. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
^ Rosentreter, Roger (2003). Michigan's Early Military Forces. U. of Wayne State P. p. 278. ISBN 0814330819. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
^ Blake, Robert Bruce. "ZUBER, WILLIAM PHYSICK". Texas State Historical Society. Retrieved August 15, 2012.
^ "William P. Zuber to Ben. E McCulloch Describing events at San Jacinto". Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Retrieved August 15, 2012.
^ "Last Survivor of Dorr War". The Boston Globe. December 24, 1922. p. 45. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
^ "Oldest Voter in State, 101, And 49er, Is Buried". The Hartford Daily Courant. p. 3. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
^ Bañes, Lanz Christian (2009). "Vallejo author uncovers the story of Bear Flag Revolt hero John Grider". Times-Herald. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
^ "Searching for John Grider, an African American Bear Flag Veteran". Blackpast.org. April 20, 2010. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
^ Associated Press (September 1929). "Mexican War's Last Survivor, 98, is Dead". The Dallas Morning News.
^ "Father Time's Roll Call". The American Legion Monthly. Vol. 7, no. 3. Legion Publishing Corporation. 1929. p. 32.
^ "Next To Last Mexico War Veteran Dead". Reading Times. June 17, 1929. p. 3. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
^ ^a ^b ^c Hoar, Jay S. (2007). The North's Last Boys in Blue. Vol. 2. Higginson Book Co. ISBN 978-0-7404-5907-8.
^ Basanik, Michael E. (2003). Cavaliers of the Brush: Quantrill and His Men. Press of the Camp Pope Bookshop. p. 131. ISBN 9781929919048. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
^ Eakin, Joanne Webb Chiles (1993). Branded as rebels: a list of bushwhackers, guerrillas, partisan rangers, confederates and southern sympathizers from Missouri during the war years. J.C. Eakin & D.R. Hale. p. 48. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
^ The Banner (1956). "Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War: Albert Woolson". Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. Archived from the original on August 13, 2004. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
^ "James A. Hard – Obituary". Binghamton Press, Associated Press. 1953. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
^ Hoar, Jay S. (2010). The South's Last Boys in Gray. Vol. 3. Higginson Book Co. ISBN 978-0-7404-6751-6.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Kuchera, Roger. "The Last Naval Veterans of the War of the Rebellion". Retrieved July 12, 2022.
^ "JASPER GARRISON, 107, OLDEST U.S. WAR VETERAN". Newspaper. The Chicago Tribune. June 6, 1987. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
^ de Quesada, Alejandro (2013). Roosevelt's Rough Riders. Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 9, 43. ISBN 9781846039041. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
^ Jones, V. C. (1969). "Jesse D. Langdon: Last of the Rough Riders". American Heritage. Vol. 20, no. 5. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
^ ^a ^b "Nathan E. Cook, 106; America's Oldest Known War Veteran". Los Angeles Times. September 12, 1992. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
^ "Also Served in U.S. Forces in Boxer Rebellion : Spanish-American War Vet Dies at 109". Newspaper. Los Angeles Times. December 8, 1985. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
^ "Nathan E. Cook, 106;America's Oldest Known War Veteran". Los Angeles Times. September 12, 1992. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
^ Everett, Will (April 6, 2007). "World War I veteran". PRI's THE WORLD. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
^ Courson, Paul (February 28, 2011). "Last living U.S. World War I veteran dies". CNN. Retrieved February 28, 2011.
^ Dustin, April (March 9, 2007). "America's Last Known WWI Combat Veteran Laid to Rest". U.S. Army. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
^ Kessinger, Mike (April 6, 2017). "Wagner was never one to shy away from talking about his WWI experience". The Hays Daily News. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
^ Gordon, Dennis (2000). The Lafayette Flying Corps: The American Volunteers in the French Air Service in World War One. Schiffer Military History. p. 169. ISBN 9780764311086.
^ Corley, Melissa (1998). "Veterans to honor Buffalo Soldier Man, 103, is last survivor of regiment of black troopers". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
^ Rush, Linda (February 3, 2005). "STATE'S 'LAST' WORLD WAR I VETERAN DIES: WARREN V. HILEMAN DIED SUNDAY IN ANNA AT 103". The Southern: Illinoisan. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
^ Kramer, Andrew (August 14, 2001). "Centarian Is Last Veteran of Only U.S.-Russia War". The St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved November 26, 2010.
^ "Del Berg Interviewed by Friends and Neighbors". The Volunteer. December 29, 2014.
^ "Death Notices for March 1, 2016". The Union Democrat. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016.
^ Olson, Wyatt (April 22, 2023). "One USS Arizona attack survivor remains following death of Ken Potts, 102". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
^ "Marine survivor of USS Arizona dies at 91". Associated Press. December 28, 2011. Retrieved December 10, 2021 – via Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
^ "Joe Langdell dies at 100; survived Pearl Harbor attack on the Arizona". Los Angeles Times. February 12, 2015.
^ Scott, Andrea (June 29, 2022). "Last surviving WW2 Medal of Honor recipient Woody Williams dies at 98". Marine Corps Times. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
^ Goldstein, Richard (April 7, 2021). "Charles Coolidge, Oldest Medal of Honor Recipient, Dies at 99". New York Times. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
^ Lampkin, Eric (July 4, 2022). "Last member of "Band of Brothers" has died". WCBI. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
^ "Last of the legendary World War II Flying Tigers dies". February 12, 2020.
^ "Death of last remaining Flying Tiger pilot stirs fond memories". China Daily.
^ "Steve Pisanos Dies at 96: Famed Decorated WWII Fighter Pilot". Times of San Diego. June 10, 2016.
^ "Lemuel Rodney Custis". January 19, 2021.
^ Smith, Harrison (November 30, 2022). "Hiroshi Miyamura, Medal of Honor recipient from Korean War, dies at 97". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
^ Allenback, Al (May 27, 2021). "In memoriam: 'Nickel on the grass' to Lt. General Charles 'Chick' Cleveland". Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved October 6, 2022.