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List of last surviving World War II veterans

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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.[1]

  Background shading indicates the individual is still living

Last survivors

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Veteran Birth Death Notability Service Allegiance
Aimé Acton 1917 or 1918 (aged 102) Last surviving veteran of the Battle of the Lys.[2] Belgian Armed Forces  Belgium
Antonio Amoretti (1927-09-11)11 September 1927 23 December 2022(2022-12-23) (aged 95) Last surviving Italian partisan of Four Days of Naples.[3] Italian resistance movement Italy
Svend Egon Andersen (1920-04-14)14 April 1920 (aged 97) Last surviving member of the Hvidsten Group.[4] Danish resistance movement  Denmark
Bud Anderson (1922-01-13)13 January 1922 (aged 102) Last surviving American triple flying ace.[5] US Army Air Forces  United States
Viljo Aronniemi 1925 or 1926 (aged 99) Last surviving Finnish veteran of the Battle of Teikari.[6] Finnish Army  Finland
Grigol Baindurashvili 1918 or 1919 (aged 102) Last survivor of the Georgian uprising on Texel.[7] Georgian Legion  Germany
Jale Bainisika 1914 or 1915 (aged 105) Last surviving veteran of Fiji.[8] Fiji Infantry Regiment  Fiji
Richard M. Barancik (1924-10-19)19 October 1924 14 July 2023(2023-07-14) (aged 98) Last surviving Monuments Man.[9][10][note 1] US Army  United States
Zdzisław Baszak (1920-07-08)8 July 1920 28 November 2024(2024-11-28) (aged 104) Last surviving Polish veteran of the Battle of Pszczyna.[12] Polish Land Forces  Poland
Clarence Beavers (1921-06-12)12 June 1921 4 December 2017(2017-12-04) (aged 96) Last surviving original member of the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion.[13] US Army  United States
Gustavo Bellazzini (1921-09-29) 29 September 1921 (age 103) Last survivor of the sinking of Roma.[14] Regia Marina  Italy
Nikolai Belyaev (1922-10-22)22 October 1922 8 December 2015(2015-12-08) (aged 93) Last surviving soldier who stormed the Reichstag.[15] Red Army  Soviet Union
Moss Berryman (1923-11-09)9 November 1923 6 August 2020(2020-08-06) (aged 96) Last surviving veteran of Operation Jaywick.[16] Royal Australian Navy  Australia
Twistleton St. Rose Bertrand (1924-09-24)24 September 1924 8 December 2019(2019-12-08) (aged 95) Last surviving veteran of Dominica.[17] British army  British Windward Islands
Josef Bialas (1927-06-01)1 June 1927 4 April 2025(2025-04-04) (aged 97) Last surviving Czech Silesian soldier of Wehrmacht.[18] Wehrmacht  Germany
Emilio Bianchi [it] (1912-10-22)22 October 1912 15 August 2015(2015-08-15) (aged 102) Last surviving torpedo rider of the Raid on Alexandria.[19] Regia Marina  Italy
Aron Bielski (1927-07-21) 21 July 1927 (age 97) Last surviving Bielski partisan.[20] Jewish partisans  Poland
Harold Billow (1922-12-28)28 December 1922 17 May 2022(2022-05-17) (aged 99) Last survivor of the Malmedy massacre.[21] US Army  United States
Betty Tackaberry Blake (1920-10-29)29 October 1920 9 April 2015(2015-04-09) (aged 94) Last surviving member of the original WASP class.[22] Women Airforce Service Pilots  United States
Emil Boček (1923-02-25)25 February 1923 25 March 2023(2023-03-25) (aged 100) Last surviving Czechoslovak RAF pilot.[23] Royal Air Force  Czechoslovakia
 United Kingdom
Fania Brantsovsky (1922-05-22)22 May 1922 22 September 2024(2024-09-22) (aged 102) Last surviving partisan of Fareynikte Partizaner Organizatsye (FPO).[24] Fareynikte Partizaner Organizatsye  Lithuania
Harold Bray (1927-06-15) 15 June 1927 (age 97) Last survivor of the sinking of USS Indianapolis.[25][note 2] US Navy  United States
Clifford Brewer (1913-04-29)29 April 1913 30 April 2017(2017-04-30) (aged 104) Last surviving surgeon of the Normandy landings.[28] Territorial Army  United Kingdom
Ted Briggs (1923-03-01)1 March 1923 4 October 2008(2008-10-04) (aged 85) Last survivor of the sinking of HMS Hood.[29] Royal Navy  United Kingdom
John T. Britton (1920-02-03)3 February 1920 7 May 2011(2011-05-07) (aged 91) Last surviving crew member of Old 666.[30] US Army Air Forces  United States
Hugo Broch (1922-01-06) 6 January 1922 (age 103) Last surviving German flying ace.[31] Luftwaffe  Germany
Galina Brok-Beltsova (1925-02-12)12 February 1925 15 August 2024(2024-08-15) (aged 99)[32] Last surviving Soviet woman combat aviator.[33] Soviet Air Forces  Soviet Union
Douglas Canning (1919-07-04)4 July 1919 20 February 2016(2016-02-20) (aged 96) Last surviving pilot of Operation Vengeance.[34][35][note 3] US Army Air Forces  United States
Mircea Caragea (1919-01-18)18 January 1919 5 October 2022(2022-10-05) (aged 103) Last surviving veteran of the Romanian Naval Forces.[36] Romanian Naval Forces  Romania
Eric Carter (1920-02-12)12 February 1920 26 July 2021(2021-07-26) (aged 101) Last surviving member of No. 151 Wing. Royal Air Force  United Kingdom
Horacio Castilleja Albarrán (1924-01-21)21 January 1924 30 November 2022(2022-11-30) (aged 97–98) Last surviving veteran of Mexico.[37][38][note 4] Mexican Air Force  Mexico
Dean Caswell (1922-07-24)24 July 1922 21 September 2022(2022-09-21) (aged 100) Last surviving US Marine flying ace.[42] US Marine Corps  United States
Charles Chibitty (1921-11-20)20 November 1921 20 July 2005(2005-07-20) (aged 83) Last surviving Comanche code talker.[43] US Army  United States
Leonard Roy Chivers (1924-07-04) 4 July 1924 (age 100) Last surviving crew member of HMS Kipling.[44] Royal Navy  United Kingdom
Tserengiin Chimedtseren (1924-10-01) 1 October 1924 (age 100)[45] Last surviving Mongolian veteran of the Battles of Khalkhin Gol.[46] Mongolian People's Army  Mongolia
Dick Churchill (1920-01-21)21 January 1920 12 February 2019(2019-02-12) (aged 99) Last surviving Stalag Luft III escapee.[47] Royal Air Force  United Kingdom
Mark W. Clark (1896-05-01)1 May 1896 17 April 1984(1984-04-17) (aged 87) Last surviving American four-star officer.[48] US Army  United States
Richard E. Cole (1915-09-07)7 September 1915 9 April 2019(2019-04-09) (aged 103) Last surviving Doolittle Raider.[49] US Army Air Forces  United States
Lou Conter (1921-09-13)13 September 1921 1 April 2024(2024-04-01) (aged 102) Last surviving crew member of USS Arizona.[50][note 5] US Navy  United States
John Cruickshank (1920-05-20) 20 May 1920 (age 104) Last surviving WW2 recipient of the Victoria Cross.[53][note 6] Royal Air Force  United Kingdom
Jaak Daemen (1924-12-13)13 December 1924 6 August 2022(2022-08-06) (aged 97) Last surviving member of the 5th Special Air Service.[55][56] Belgian Resistance, Free Belgian Forces  Belgium
Arturo de Gregorio 1920 or 1921 (aged 102) Last surviving Spanish volunteer of the Blue Division.[57] German Army  Spain
 Germany
Robert Dixon (1921-09-11)11 September 1921 15 November 2024(2024-11-15) (aged 103) Last surviving Buffalo Soldier of West Point.[58] US Army  United States
Ion Dobran [ro] (1919-02-05)5 February 1919 24 September 2021(2021-09-24) (aged 102) Last surviving flying ace of the Romanian Air Force.[59] Romanian Air Force  Romania
Karl Dönitz (1891-09-16)16 September 1891 24 December 1980(1980-12-24) (aged 89) Last surviving German Großadmiral.[60][note 7] Kriegsmarine  Germany
James Francis Edwards (1921-06-05)5 June 1921 14 May 2022(2022-05-14) (aged 100) Last surviving Canadian flying ace.[61] Royal Canadian Air Force  Canada
Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-10-14)14 October 1890 28 March 1969(1969-03-28) (aged 78) Last surviving American five-star officer.[note 8] US Army  United States
Colette Escoffier-Martini (1922-11-01)1 November 1922 28 May 2024(2024-05-28) (aged 101)[62] Last surviving Merlinette.[63] French Liberation Army  Free France
Antonín Fajkus (1923-12-04)4 December 1923 5 February 2025(2025-02-05) (aged 101) Last surviving Czech American USAAF pilot.[64] United States Army Air Forces  United States
Walenty Faterkowski (1912-01-25)25 January 1912 7 May 2013(2013-05-07) (aged 101) Last surviving Polish veteran of the Battle of Tczew.[65] Polish Land Forces  Poland
Mario Fiorentini (1918-11-07)7 November 1918 9 August 2022(2022-08-09) (aged 103) Last surviving partisan of Gruppi di Azione Patriottica.[66] Corpo Volontari della Libertà Italy
Walter Flaxman (1923-02-03)3 February 1923 8 February 2025(2025-02-08) (aged 102) Last surviving Royal Lancer.[67] British Army  United Kingdom
Hormidas Joseph Fredette (1917-04-11)11 April 1917 29 November 2023(2023-11-29) (aged 106) Last surviving Canadian veteran of the Battle of Hong Kong.[68] Canadian Army  Canada
Bradford C. Freeman (1924-09-24)24 September 1924 3 July 2022(2022-07-03) (aged 97) Last surviving member of Easy Company.[69][note 9] US Army  United States
Kgori Molefhe Gaborone 1917 or 1918 (aged 99) Last surviving veteran of Bechuanaland.[71] British Army  Bechuanaland Protectorate
Léon Gautier (1922-10-27)27 October 1922 3 July 2023(2023-07-03) (aged 100)[72] Last surviving French veteran of the Normandy landings.[73] Free French Naval Forces  Free France
Nikolay Georgiev–Shmayzera (1922-11-25)25 November 1922 1 January 2024(2024-01-01) (aged 101) Last surviving partisan of Bulgaria.[74] Bulgarian resistance movement  Bulgaria
Tuomas Gerdt (1922-05-28)28 May 1922 1 November 2020(2020-11-01) (aged 98) Last surviving recipient of the Mannerheim Cross.[75] Finnish Army  Finland
Hubert Germain (1920-08-06)6 August 1920 12 October 2021(2021-10-12) (aged 101) Last surviving Companion of the Order of Liberation.[76] French Resistance  Free France
Max Gilbert (1921-04-24)24 April 1921 24 June 2022(2022-06-24) (aged 101)[77] Last survivor of the Ambon Island POW camp.[78] Australian Army  Australia
Bom Gillies (1925-02-14)14 February 1925 7 November 2024(2024-11-07) (aged 99)[79] Last surviving member of the Māori Battalion.[80][81] New Zealand Military Forces  New Zealand
Jerzy Główczewski (1922-11-19)19 November 1922 13 April 2020(2020-04-13) (aged 97) Last surviving pilot of the Polish Air Forces.[82][note 10] Royal Air Force  Poland
 United Kingdom
Rafael Gómez Nieto (1921-01-21)21 January 1921 31 March 2020(2020-03-31) (aged 99) Last surviving member of La Nueve.[85] French Liberation Army  Free France
Luigi Gorrini (1917-07-12)12 July 1917 8 November 2014(2014-11-08) (aged 97) Last surviving Italian flying ace.[86] Regia Aeronautica  Italy
Friedrich Grade (1916-03-29)29 March 1916 13 October 2023(2023-10-13) (aged 107)[87] Last surviving crew member of U-96.[88] Kriegsmarine  Germany
Louis Graziano (1923-02-06) 6 February 1923 (age 102) Last surviving witness to the German surrender.[89] US Army  United States
Franciszek Grzegorzek 1919 (aged 94) Last surviving Polish veteran of the Battle of Mikołów.[90] Polish Land Forces  Poland
Jarmila Halbrštátová (1924-04-07)7 April 1924 2 December 2020(2020-12-02) (aged 96) Last surviving Czechoslovak veteran of the Battle of Sokolovo.[91] Czechoslovak Army  Czechoslovakia
 Soviet Union
David Hamilton (1922-07-20)20 July 1922[92] 5 January 2025(2025-01-05) (aged 102) Last surviving C-47 Pathfinder pilot.[93] US Army Air Forces  United States
Russell Hamler 1924 (1924) (aged 99) Last surviving member of Merrill's Marauders.[94][95][96] US Army  United States
Robert John Hanson (1920-05-25)25 May 1920 1 October 2005(2005-10-01) (aged 85) Last surviving crew member of Memphis Belle. US Army Air Forces  United States
Reinhard Hardegen (1913-03-18)18 March 1913 9 June 2018(2018-06-09) (aged 105) Last surviving U-boat captain.[97] Kriegsmarine  Germany
Lloyd Harding 1922 (aged 99) Last surviving member of Tasmania's 2/40th Battalion.[98] Australian Army  Australia
Shunroku Hata (1879-07-26)26 July 1879 10 May 1962(1962-05-10) (aged 82) Last surviving Japanese marshal (gensui).[99] Imperial Japanese Army  Japan
John Hemingway (1919-07-17)17 July 1919 17 March 2025(2025-03-17) (aged 105) Last surviving pilot of The Few.[note 11] Royal Air Force  United Kingdom
Ervín Hoida (1918-11-30)30 November 1918 (aged 105)[106] Last surviving Czechoslovak veteran of the Battle of France.[107] Czechoslovak Army  Czechoslovakia
 France
 United Kingdom
Ebou Janha 1919 or 1920 (aged 102) Last surviving veteran of Gambia.[108][109] Royal West African Frontier Force  The Gambia
Vagn Baagø Jepsen 1917 or 1918 (aged 100)[110] Last surviving Danish veteran of the Battle of Haderslev.[111] Royal Danish Army  Denmark
James Jeremiah 1924 or 1925 (aged 97) Last surviving veteran of Malaysia.[112][113][114] Straits Settlements Volunteer Force Malayan Union Malaya
Ellsworth Johnson (1923-07-05)5 July 1923 30 September 2023(2023-09-30) (aged 100) Last surviving member of the OSS OG.[115] Office of Strategic Services  United States
Johnny Johnson (1921-11-25)25 November 1921 7 December 2022(2022-12-07) (aged 101) Last surviving member of the Dambuster Raids.[116][117][note 12] Royal Air Force  United Kingdom
Ari Wong Kim (1924-01-16)16 January 1924 19 October 2023(2023-10-19) (aged 99) Last surviving veteran of French Polynesia.[119] French Liberation Army  Free France
Jiří Pavel Kafka [cz] (1924-05-02) 2 May 1924 (age 100) Last surviving Czechoslovak RAF airman.[120] Royal Air Force  Czechoslovakia
 United Kingdom
Norman Kleiss (1916-03-07)7 March 1916 22 April 2016(2016-04-22) (aged 100) Last surviving Battle of Midway dive bomber pilot.[121] US Navy  United States
Gertrud Koch

(1924-06-01)1 June 1924

21 June 2016(2016-06-21) (aged 92)

 Last surviving member of the Edelweiss Pirates.[citation needed] German Resistance movement  Germany
Georgios Koliopoulos (1915-02-20)20 February 1915 2 May 2023(2023-05-02) (aged 108) Last surviving member of the Cavalry Division.[122] Hellenic Army  Greece
Leon Kopelman (1924-04-26)26 April 1924 13 August 2021(2021-08-13) (aged 97) Last surviving fighter of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.[123][note 13] Jewish Combat Organization (ŻOB)  Poland
Ilmari Koppinen (1918-01-08) 8 January 1918 (age 107) Last surviving Finnish veteran of the Mai Guba attack.[124] Finnish Army  Finland
Roelof Korporaal (1919-03-25)25 March 1919 26 January 2014(2014-01-26) (aged 94) Last surviving Dutch veteran of the Battle of the Afsluitdijk.[125] Royal Netherlands Army  Netherlands
Albert Kunyuku [fr] (1922-05-10)10 May 1922 25 November 2022(2022-11-25) (aged 100) Last surviving veteran of the Belgian Congo.[126] Force Publique  Belgian Congo
Juliusz Kulesza (1928-05-19)19 May 1928 5 February 2025(2025-02-05) (aged 96) Last surviving participant in the Battles for the Polish Security Printing Works (PWPW) rebound.[127][128] Polish Home Army  Polish Underground State
Petr Kotelnikov 1929 21 April 2021(2021-04-21) (aged 91–92) Last surviving Soviet veteran of the Defense of Brest Fortress.[129] Red Army  Soviet Union
Boris Kravtsov (1922-12-28) 28 December 1922 (age 102) Last surviving wartime Hero of the Soviet Union.[130] Red Army  Soviet Union
Traute Lafrenz (1919-05-03)3 May 1919 6 March 2023(2023-03-06) (aged 103)[131] Last surviving White Rose.[132] German Resistance movement  Germany
Sakari Lahtinen (1923-09-29)29 September 1923 12 October 2022(2022-10-12) (aged 99) Last surviving Finnish Waffen-SS volunteer.[133] Finnish volunteers in the Waffen-SS  Finland
 Germany
Robert Henry Andrew Lapsley 1921 (1921) (aged 103)[134] Last surviving veteran of Hong Kong.[135] British Army  Hong Kong
 United Kingdom
Phyllis Latour (1921-04-08)8 April 1921 7 October 2023(2023-10-07) (aged 102)[136] Last surviving woman SOE agent to serve in France.[137] WAAF, SOE, French Resistance  United Kingdom
 Free France
Havala Laula 1914 or 1915 9 February 2017(2017-02-09) (aged 91–92) Last surviving Fuzzy Wuzzy Angel.[note 14][138][139] Australian Army  Territory of Papua
Robert Laumans 1920 (aged 93) Last surviving Belgian RAF pilot.[140] Royal Air Force  Belgium
 United Kingdom
Lee Hak-rae 1925 (1925) (aged 96) Last surviving convicted Korean war criminal.[141][142] Imperial Japanese Army  Japan
William R. Leibold (1923-04-04)4 April 1923 3 November 2022(2022-11-03) (aged 99) Last surviving sailor of USS Tang.[143] US Navy  United States
Charles W. Lindberg (1920-06-26)26 June 1920 24 June 2007(2007-06-24) (aged 86) Last surviving participant of the original Iwo Jima flag raising.[144] US Marine Corps  United States
Jan Linzel [nl] (1915-12-07)7 December 1915 5 May 2019(2019-05-05) (aged 103) Last surviving Dutch pilot of the Battle for The Hague.[145] Army Aviation Brigade  Netherlands
Choi Lodthanong 1920 or 1921 (aged 100 or 101) Last surviving Thai veteran of the Battle of Prachuap Khiri Khan.[146][147] Royal Thai Air Force  Thailand
Frank Losonsky (1920-10-08)8 October 1920 6 February 2020(2020-02-06) (aged 99) Last surviving member of the Flying Tigers.[148][note 15] First American Volunteer Group
US Army Air Forces		  China
 United States
Jacques Lucien (1924-05-04)4 May 1924 12 September 2024(2024-09-12) (aged 100)[154] Last surviving veteran of New Caledonia.[155][156] French Liberation Army  Free France
Mildred Dalton Manning (1914-07-11)11 July 1914 8 March 2013(2013-03-08) (aged 98) Last surviving Angel of Bataan and Corregidor.[157] US Army  United States
Ivan Martynushkin (1924-01-18) 18 January 1924 (age 101) Last surviving liberator of the Auschwitz concentration camp.[158][note 16] Red Army  Soviet Union
Petar Matić Dule (1920-07-06)6 July 1920 4 October 2024(2024-10-04) (aged 104) Last surviving National Hero of Yugoslavia.[159][160][note 17] Yugoslav Partisans  Yugoslavia
Mauri Maunula (1921-06-02)2 June 1921 14 September 2024(2024-09-14) (aged 103) Last surviving FAF pilot.[163] Finnish Army  Finland
Kenneth Mayhew (1917-01-18)18 January 1917 13 May 2021(2021-05-13) (aged 104) Last surviving recipient of the Military Order of William.[164] British Army  United Kingdom
Zoë Maynard 1926 (1926) (aged 92) Last surviving female veteran of The Bahamas.[165] Auxiliary Territorial Service  Bahamas
Frank McGovern (1919-10-01)1 October 1919 24 May 2023(2023-05-24) (aged 103) Last survivor of the sinking of HMAS Perth.[166][167][168] Royal Australian Navy  Australia
Stenio Mezzetti 1921 (aged 95) Last surviving Italian veteran of the Battle of Cape Matapan.[169][170] Regia Marina  Italy
Michael I of Romania (1921-10-25)25 October 1921 5 December 2017(2017-12-05) (aged 96) Last surviving recipient of the Order of Victory. Romanian Armed Forces  Romania
Marie Michajlovičová (1921-08-22)22 August 1921 14 July 2022(2022-07-14) (aged 100) Last surviving member of 1st Czechoslovak Independent Tank Brigade.[171] 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps in the Soviet Union  Czechoslovakia
 Soviet Union
Helge Milo 1927 or 1928 (aged 94) Last surviving member of the Churchill Club.[172] Danish resistance movement  Denmark
John F. Miniclier (1921-07-23) 23 July 1921 (age 103) Last surviving American veteran of the Battle of Midway.[173] US Army  United States
José Carlos de Miranda Corrêa 1919 or 1920 (aged 93) Last surviving pilot of Brazil.[174] Brazilian Air Force  Brazil
Ben Moide (1924-06-21)21 June 1924 30 December 2013(2013-12-30) (aged 89) Last surviving veteran of Papua New Guinea.[175] Australian Army  Territory of Papua
Ujang Mormin 1920 (1920) (aged 100) Last surviving veteran of the Battle of Pasir Panjang.[176] Royal Malay Regiment Malayan Union Malaya
Teruo Murakami 1920 (1920) 14 September 2023(2023-09-14) (aged 103)[177] Last survivor of the Cowra breakout.[178][179] Imperial Japanese Army  Japan
Ali Nadi 1925 or 1926 (aged 91 or 92) Last surviving Moroccan Goumier.[180][181] French Liberation Army  Free France
 Morocco
Keiji Nagai 1921 (1921) (aged 98) Last surviving Japanese veteran of the Battle of Peleliu.[182] Imperial Japanese Army  Japan
Roger Le Neurès (1923-03-25) 25 March 1923 (age 102) Last surviving member of the 2nd Armored Division.[183] French Liberation Army  Free France
Chester Nez (1921-01-23)23 January 1921 4 June 2014(2014-06-04) (aged 93) Last surviving original Navajo code talker.[184] US Marine Corps  United States
Eugeniusz Niedzielski (1923-09-01) 1 September 1923 (age 101) Last surviving member of the Polish 1st Armoured Division.[185] Polish Armed Forces in the West  Poland
Bent Nielsen 1922 (aged 99) Last surviving member of the Holger Danske.[186] Danish resistance movement  Denmark
Harald Nugiseks (1921-10-22)22 October 1921 2 January 2014(2014-01-02) (aged 92) Last surviving Estonian recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.[187] Waffen-SS  Estonia
 Germany
Bolek Ostrowski (1919-07-04)4 July 1919 17 March 2025(2025-03-17) (aged 105) Last surviving member of the 1st Independent Parachute Brigade.[188] Polish Air Forces in France and Great Britain  Poland
Henry Parham (1921-11-15)15 November 1921 4 July 2021(2021-07-04) (aged 99) Last surviving African American veteran of the Normandy landings.[189] US Army  United States
John Payne 1924 or 1925 2023 (aged 98) Last surviving British clearance diver.[190][191] Royal Navy  United Kingdom
Aleksander Pawelec (1915-12-13)13 December 1915 4 February 2019(2019-02-04) (aged 103) Last surviving Polish veteran of the Battle of Kępa Oksywska.[192] Polish Land Forces  Poland
Steve Pisanos (1919-11-10)10 November 1919 6 June 2016(2016-06-06) (aged 96) Last surviving pilot of the Eagle Squadrons.[193] Royal Air Force
US Army Air Forces		  United Kingdom
 United States
Auguste Plénet 1924[194] (aged 99) Last surviving veteran of French Guiana.[195] French Liberation Army  Free France
Alex Polowin (1924-04-15)15 April 1924 16 August 2022(2022-08-16) (aged 98) Last surviving crew member of HMCS Huron.[196] Royal Canadian Navy  Canada
Carlo Poncia (1922-12-27)27 December 1922 8 December 2023(2023-12-08) (aged 100) Last surviving Italian veteran of the Battle of Nikolayevka.[197] Regio Esercito  Italy
Paul Priest (1925-12-25) 25 December 1925 (age 99) Last surviving veteran of the Battle of Remagen.[198] US Army  United States
Tom Pritchard (1921-08-24)24 August 1921[199] 3 August 2024(2024-08-03) (aged 102)[200] Last surviving Australian veteran of the Siege of Tobruk.[201][note 18] Australian Army  Australia
Dick Ramsey (1923-10-31) 31 October 1923 (age 101) Last surviving crew member of USS Nevada.[203] United States Navy  United States
August Rathke (1925-12-21)21 December 1925 25 November 2022(2022-11-25) (aged 96) Last surviving Norwegian veteran of the Norwegian Independent Company 1.[204] Special Operations Executive  Norway
 United Kingdom
Vasily Reshetnikov (1919-12-23)23 December 1919 20 March 2023(2023-03-20) (aged 103) Last surviving Soviet participant of the bombing of Berlin.[205] Soviet Air Force  Soviet Union
Willie Rogers (1915-04-12)12 April 1915 18 November 2016(2016-11-18) (aged 101) Last surviving original member of the Tuskegee airmen.[206] US Army Air Forces  United States
Joachim Rønneberg (1919-08-30)30 August 1919 21 October 2018(2018-10-21) (aged 99) Last surviving member of Operation Gunnerside.[207] Norwegian Resistance  Norway
Justus Rosenberg (1921-01-23)23 January 1921 30 October 2021(2021-10-30) (aged 100) Last surviving member of the Emergency Rescue Committee.[208] French Resistance  Free France
Eystein Røset (1918-12-28)28 December 1918 24 December 2022(2022-12-24) (aged 104) Last surviving Norwegian veteran of the Battle of Narvik.[209] Norwegian Army  Norway
Johanna Ruf 1929 2023(2023-00-00) (aged 93–94) Last surviving occupant of the Führerbunker: she was a 15-year-old nurse.[210][211] Bund Deutscher Mädel  Germany
Allan Russell (1923-10-15) 15 October 1923 (age 101)[212] Last surviving member of Z Special Unit.[213][214] Australian Army  Australia
Dinko Šakić (1921-09-08)8 September 1921 20 July 2008(2008-07-20) (aged 86) Last surviving commander of a concentration camp.[215] Ustaše Supervisory Service  Independent State of Croatia
Jorge Sanjinez Lenz (1917-01-24)24 January 1917 24 August 2020(2020-08-24) (aged 103) Last surviving Latin American veteran of the Normandy landings.[216] Independent Belgian Brigade  Belgium
Harold Schultz (1925-01-28)28 January 1925 16 May 1995(1995-05-16) (aged 70) Last surviving person photographed in the Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima image. United States Marine Corps  United States
Jack Shearer (1921-09-07)7 September 1921 26 August 2022(2022-08-26) (aged 100) Last surviving member of the Sino-American Cooperative Organization.[217][218] US Navy[219]  United States
Ignacy Skowron (1915-07-24)24 July 1915 5 August 2012(2012-08-05) (aged 97) Last surviving Polish veteran of the Battle of Westerplatte.[220] Polish Land Forces  Poland
Franciszek Skrzypczyk (1918-11-30)30 November 1918 22 July 2022(2022-07-22) (aged 103)[221] Last surviving Polish veteran of the Battle of Kock.[222] Polish Land Forces  Poland
Edmond Schmickrath (1924-04-06)6 April 1924 22 November 2023(2023-11-22) (aged 99) Last surviving member of the Independent Belgian Brigade.[223] Free Belgian forces  Belgium
Clarence Smoyer (1923-06-25)25 June 1923 30 September 2022(2022-09-30) (aged 99) Last surviving member of the "Spearhead" 3rd Armored Division.[224] US Army  United States
Bill Sparks (1922-09-05)5 September 1922 1 December 2002(2002-12-01) (aged 80) Last surviving Cockleshell Hero.[225] Royal Marines  United Kingdom
Jan Stangryciuk-Black (1922-04-19)19 April 1922 22 October 2023(2023-10-22) (aged 101) Last surviving member of the Guinea Pig Club.[226] Royal Air Force  Poland
 United Kingdom
Erhard Stenzel [de] (1925-02-05)5 February 1925 18 November 2021(2021-11-18) (aged 96) Last surviving German member of the French Resistance.[227] French Resistance
German Army		  Free France
 Germany
Gene Stephens (1918-07-13)13 July 1918 20 July 2018(2018-07-20) (aged 100) Last surviving member of the Military Police Corps.[228] United States Army  United States
Nancy Stratford (1919-06-12) 12 June 1919 (age 105) Last surviving Attagirl.[229] Air Transport Auxiliary  United Kingdom
Aleksander Tarnawski [pl] (1921-01-08)8 January 1921 4 March 2022(2022-03-04) (aged 101) Last surviving Cichociemni.[230] Home Army  Poland
Arsène Tchakarian (1916-12-21)21 December 1916 4 August 2018(2018-08-04) (aged 101) Last surviving member of Groupe Manouchian.[231] French Resistance  Free France
John Richard Thomson 1923 (aged 98)[232] Last surviving veteran of the Battle of the River Plate.[233] Royal Navy  United Kingdom
Heinrich Trettner (1907-09-19)19 September 1907 18 September 2006(2006-09-18) (aged 98) Last surviving general of the Wehrmacht. Luftwaffe  Germany
Kazimierz Tumiński (1920-09-30)30 September 1920 15 October 2020(2020-10-15) (aged 100) Last surviving Polish veteran of the Battle of Grodno.[234] Polish Land Forces  Poland
Sualua Tui Masaniai 1922 (1922) (aged 97) Last surviving veteran of American Samoa.[235][236] Fita Fita Guard  American Samoa
Warren Upton (1919-10-17)17 October 1919 25 December 2024(2024-12-25) (aged 105) Last surviving crew member of USS Utah.[237] US Navy  United States
Theodore Van Kirk (1921-02-27)27 February 1921 28 July 2014(2014-07-28) (aged 93) Last surviving crew member of the Enola Gay.[238] US Army Air Forces  United States
Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist-Schmenzin (1922-07-10)10 July 1922 8 March 2013(2013-03-08) (aged 90) Last surviving member of the 20 July plot.[239] German Army  Germany
Aleksandr Vasilevsky (1895-09-30)30 September 1895 5 December 1977(1977-12-05) (aged 82) Last surviving wartime Marshal of the Soviet Union. Red Army  Soviet Union
Herbert Wahler (1921-12-10)10 December 1921 November 2023(2023-11-00) (aged 101) Last surviving member of Einsatzgruppe C.[240] Schutzstaffel  Germany
Józef Węgiel (1914-05-30)30 May 1914 4 April 2018(2018-04-04) (aged 103) Last surviving Polish veteran of the Battle of Mława.[241] Polish Land Forces  Poland
Henry Weldon (1923-05-29)29 May 1923 5 October 2018(2018-10-05) (aged 95) Last surviving member of Underwater Demolition Team 10.[242][243] Office of Strategic Services
US Navy		  United States
Hershel W. Williams (1923-10-02)2 October 1923 29 June 2022(2022-06-29) (aged 98) Last surviving recipient of the Medal of Honor.[244][note 19] US Marine Corps  United States
Masamitsu Yoshioka (1918-01-05)5 January 1918 29 August 2024(2024-08-29) (aged 106) Last surviving Japanese airman who attacked Pearl Harbor.[245][note 20][247] Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service  Japan
Billy Young 1925 or 1926 (aged 96) Last survivor of the Sandakan POW Camp.[248][249] Australian Army  Australia
Jozef Zawitkowski (1922-02-20)20 February 1922 14 September 2018(2018-09-14) (aged 96) Last surviving member of the Ojciec Jan unit.[250] Home Army  Poland
Gerard Zinser (1918-05-31)31 May 1918 21 August 2001(2001-08-21) (aged 83) Last surviving crew member of PT-109.[251] US Navy  United States
Close

See also

Notes

  1. [N 1]
    The last surviving woman of the Monuments Men was Motoko Fujishiro Huthwaite (1927–2020).[11]
  2. [N 2]
    Bray was a USS Indianapolis crew member. The last survivor of the ship's Marine Detachment was Edgar Harrell (1924–2021).[26] The last surviving officer was Don Howison (1921–2020).[27]
  3. [N 3]
    Canning was the last surviving pilot of Operation Vengeance. The last pilot credited with a confirmed kill was Rex T. Barber (1917–2001).
  4. [N 4]
    Castilleja Albarrán, a radio operator, was the last veteran from Mexico and the last of the Aztec Eagles. The last pilot of the Aztec Eagles was Carlos Garduño Nuñez (1919–2022).[39][40][41]
  5. [N 5]
    Conter, an enlisted U.S. Navy sailor, was the last survivor of the sinking of USS Arizona. The last survivor of the ship's Marine Detachment was Lamar Crawford (1920–2011).[51] The last surviving commissioned officer was Joseph Langdell (1914–2015).[52]
  6. [N 6]
    Cruickshank, who is Scottish, is the last surviving recipient of the Victoria Cross from any country. Last surviving recipients from other countries include:
  7. [N 7]
    Dönitz, an Admiral, was the last surviving five star officer of Nazi Germany. The last surviving Army Generalfeldmarschall was Ferdinand Schörner (1892-1973). The last surviving Luftwaffe Generalfeldmarschall was Erhard Milch (1892-1972).
  8. [N 8]
    Eisenhower was the last surviving General of the Army. Omar Bradley (1893–1981) was promoted to the rank after the war, in 1950. The last surviving Fleet Admiral was Chester Nimitz (1885–1966).
  9. [N 9]
    Freeman was an enlisted soldier. The last surviving commissioned officer of Easy Company was Edward Shames (1922–2021).[70]
  10. [N 10]
    Główczewski was the last surviving pilot of the Polish RAF squadrons. The last surviving squadron commander was Franciszek Kornicki (1916–2017).[83] The last surviving Polish pilot who fought in the Battle of Britain was Tadeusz Sawicz (1914–2011).[84]
  11. [N 11]
    Hemingway, who was Irish, was the last surviving pilot of the Battle of Britain. Paul Farnes (1918–2020) was the last surviving flying ace.[100] Last surviving Battle of Britain pilots from other countries include:
  12. [N 12]
    Johnson was a bomb aimer. The last surviving Dambuster pilot was Les Munro (1919–2015).[118]
  13. [N 13]
    Previously, Simcha Rotem (1924–2018) was believed to be the last surviving uprising fighter.
  14. [N 14]
    "Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels" were Indigenous New Guineans who acted as porters, guides and medics for Australian soldiers in New Guinea.
  15. [N 15]
    Losonsky is recognized as the last surviving Flying Tiger by the United States Air Force. Other veterans identified as last surviving members include Chen Ping Ching (1918–2022),[149][150] Stephen Bonner (1918–2021),[151] Carl Kice Brown (1917–2017),[152] and Long Qiming (c. 1923–2014).[153]
  16. [N 16]
    Previously, David Dushman (1923–2021) was believed to be the last surviving liberator of Auschwitz.
  17. [N 17]
    Matić Dule was the last surviving recipient of the Order of the People's Hero. The last surviving woman who received the decoration was Andreana Družina (1920–2021).[161][162]
  18. [N 18]
    The last surviving Czechoslovak veteran of the Siege of Tobruk was Bernard Papánek [cs] (1920–2021).[202]
  19. [N 19]
    Williams, a Marine, was the last surviving recipient of the Medal of Honor from any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. Last surviving recipients from other branches include:
  20. [N 20]
    Yoshioka, a navigator and bombardier, is the last surviving airman of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Kaname Harada (1916–2016) was the last surviving pilot of the attack.[246]

References

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