Saying farewell to Canada's oldest veteran

Family, friends and some Canadian dignitaries gathered in Spokane, Wash., over the weekend to honor John "Jack" Babcock, Canada’s last soldier from World War I, who died Feb. 18 at 109.

Babcock died in Spokane, where he had lived since 1932. At a memorial service Saturday, Gen. Walter Natnczyk said Babcock captured the spirit and courage of the 650,000 Canadians who fought in the Great War.

Canadian Minister of Veterans Affairs Jean-Pierre Blackburn presented Babcock’s wife, Dorothy Babcock, with the Canadian flag that was flying over the Canadian Parliament building the day he died.

Babcock was born July 23, 1900, near Kingston, Canada, and enlisted in the Royal Canadian Regiment when he was just 15, lying about his age.

The complete story about the memorial service from the Spokane Spokesman-Review is here.

-- Associated Press 

Photo: Dot Babcock, center, widow of Canadian World War I veteran John "Jack" Babcock, surrounded by Canadian military officers after Saturday's memorial service for her husband. Credit: Jesse Tinsley / Spokesman-Review