More than 4 million men and women served in the U.S. military during the Great War. Now, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, Frank Buckles is the very last doughboy. Buckles was 16 when he enlisted, lying about his age so he could fight in the war. After basic training in the States, his unit steamed for England and crossed the channel to France.After the Great War, he worked for a bank, but then he had several jobs in the shipping industry, working at one time for the White Star Line, owner of the Titanic. In late 1941, he was on assignment in Manila when the Japanese invaded the Philippines. For the next 39 months, Buckles had the pleasure of being the emperor’s guest at Los Banos prison camp. He and the others nearly starved to death.
