Harry Patch at 109

[yenbadcito]

i am sorry, but can i anyone transcribe what mr. Patch said, i have a harde figuring it out. thanks

[MatthewAlfrey]

@yenbadcito "If any man said he was in the trenches and went over the top and wasn't scared, he was a liar"

[machinegun0478714950]

its brings tears to my eyes and shakes my body why have they died for what???

[chigaloo2]

The other reason for his popularity was he was an everyman. God bless him and his generation.

Lest we forget.

[AndyHicks2003]

Harry Patch was a simple, honest man from Combe Down, a small, honest village that in his time stood apart from the concerns of England, it's politics, it's policies as a whole. When he was forced to fight, he had to; he fought for a country, but he died a man, and only a man.

Harry Patch spoke for any civilian, on any side, in any war -

'war is the calculated and condoned slaughter of human beings.'

May we stop this cycle, before it is our last.

[theblackmafia71]

The shot at dawn memorial is located at the National Arboretam in Staffordshire

[Waitingforriki]

Dear Harry Patch, the last surviving British Tommy..Absolute hero with modesty, dignity & last but not least, bravery in the extreme..You won't be forgotten Harry! Rest in peace & thank you from the bottom of my heart..

[seamusmcmad]

My last comment was aimed at the flanks of 246DEK74, who seems oblivious as to reason why people like Harry were fighting.

RIP The 50,000,000.

[crowhawk]

Fair play to Harry for speaking out against the glorification of war. He wasn't a volunteer soldier. He was conscripted into a war that had nothing to do with the ordinary man on either German or British side. He never owned so much as a handfull of the soil he fought & millions died for! Our governments are far too fond of wrapping themselves in the flag & glorifiying militarism. Millions died in a folly monumental incompetance & lunacy! For what? So the rich could remain rich. RIP Harry!

[moominpic]

Agreed. What gets me is that with the passing of the last veterans the governments can consign WW1 to the history bin, along with all the other long-gone wars and carry on doing the same things, sending young men and women to their deaths and causing suffering of innocent civilians whilst using the same phrases and lies that Harry patch's generation had to listen to.

[soylentgreenb]

Well, it's a little better today.

We have nukes now, and they have a beautiful property no other weapon shares; the old farts who would send young men to fight and die for them are even more at risk in a nuclear strike than those they send away. Not even a genocidal psychopath like Stalin dared start a nuclear war.

We still need to keep industrialized nations from picking a fight with developing nations and picking a fight against their own citizens, but there is at least a little progress.

[dougalmac54]

The thing that stands out most to me is the humanity of this man. He is unequivocal in his belief that the war was a complete waste of time, and that it accomplished nothing but pain, suffering, brutality, and waste. You cannot argue with a man who was wounded in battle, suffered tremendous loss, and lived a life beyond imagination. God Bless You, Harry Patch-you were truly an amazing human being, and a credit to our world. Too bad self-serving politicians can't think and act like this man.

[stef1652]

see you.. harry safe trip thanks for all you did.

[1horridhenry]

HARRY PATCH fought in ww1 for you GORDON BROWN M,P so when YOU and your cronies FIDDLE your expenses next time remember who it was who went through HELL at the battle if the somme and suffered the hell of the trenches so that you can make a few quid on the side HANG YOUR FAT HEAD IN SHAME Brown 14,913 people will be watching to see if YOU have the DECENCY to attend that gentlemans funeral the cynic in me says you will go nowhere near that funeral service WE WATCH AND WAIT

[246DEK74]

how could harry patch fight for gordon brown in ww1,he wasnt even born

[seamusmcmad]

He fought for everybodies freedom AND the freedom of future generations.

Its not rocket science. Jeeez!!!

[Waitingforriki]

Here here!! Of coarse he didn't turn up. Too concerned with keeping his job..

[hitmanisbackmk2]

god bless you Harry may you rest in peace such a respectful mild unasuming hero ,

[scubanecky]

HERO THATS A FACT

[marius478]

I would live to talk to him.

[JohnnyKutz]

To be that old and still have all your marbles! What a blessing!

[foxayroxay25]

I love to meet this man and ask him one question:

How does he feel the world has changed since the day he enlisted and now?

[ThePelly]

I have a huge respect for this man, But i'm being honest, Why is he so special? luck alone.

If he had died in say 1970 or something, He would never have received an inkling of fame.

That aside, I do wish him all the best. He's the last living person to have fought at Ypres. And the horror of it none of us can begin to comprehend.

[moominpic]

Yes, the reason he was famous was because he lived longest. He once commented about how strange it felt to know that of the 4 million or so men who fought in the trenches, he was the last one.

[neildjreid]

this is truely amazing. these are the last voices to tell the story only 3 left in the uk..i wish i could meet them and shake there hands and say thank you very much for what they did for us..they dont have long left now and i will be so sad when they are gone and then it will be lost in history for ever...god bless them all.. and god bless the last tommy harry patch

[eplfootiefan]

Thankyou sir,we can never repay the debt of gratitude owed to you and all our countrymen.

SO I WILL JUST SAY THANKS FOR MY FREEDOM.

[RollandB]

I wish I could meet someone like him,I would want to know every single detail about his experiences.

[ninjaassasin1983]

we all owe this man and all who served with him a debt of gratitude god bless the tommy's

[eyeamsparticus]

Is there anything more embarrasing for the establishemnt to honour a man after all these years? After having sent him to war and done their best to try and kill him, it would surprise me in the least if Mr Patch told the establishment where to stick their honour!

It's his views on War and the act of placing a wreath on the enemy soldier graves rather than his longevity that most impresses about Harry Patch. IMO he's way above any worthless honour, and is surely one of the worlds true heros.

[theherbilgerbil2029]

well said,, I've just finished watching the last Tommy, and listening to his words brought a tear to this glass eye, and moved me to come on "tinterweb" to pay tribute to this wonderfull human being ,,WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

[Cr3ativity]

I completely agree with you. Is it not interesting how ignorant and selfish brats we all are? Harry Patch definitely had the nerves to keep his thoughts to himself and that is what makes the difference between any other person and one with an eye of knowledge.

[eyeamsparticus]

Labelling everyone as an ignorant and selfish brat is going too far IMO.

If we were to turn the clock back 100 years, there's irony in what you say. In Patch's day, the government and armed forces would brainwash the ignorant whereas those who dare question fighting for their King and country and who didn't keep their thoughts to themselves - well they were labelled as selfish / cowards and shot.

Do we also honour those so called 'cowards' who died via firing squad on rememberance day?

[theblackmafia71]

Yes we do there is a memorial for them in Staffordshire which commemorates the (shot at dawn) victimes .Saying that there are a few people in sosiety who i would gladley shoot at dawn

[moominpic]

Interesting. Where is the memorial for the 'shot at dawn'?

[moominpic]

To true, eyeamsparticus. Just reading the book "Forgotten Voices", a selection of memories from IWM recordings archive. Conscientious Objectors were often abused and court martialled and sentenced to years in prison.

[coppull]

This great man survived 2 world wars, an entire century, and is an absolute inspiration.

[gagecube]

How dare he not be knighted. All the idiot celebritys that have (jonathan ross!) this is a disgrace, if anyone wishes to start a petition count me in and contact me.

[nancybreed]

i agree.. this man is the true definition of a hero, and should be given every possible title and medal possible. he should never have to put his hand in his pocket again, he has seen things that none of us can even begin to imagine. Harry Patch... a true british legend

[baterije]

He may be a hero but in reality he has performed the same duty as our troops still do to this day. Effectively he is just a war veteran who has made it to an old age, yes I agree that his fight was significant in saving Britain but he has done what any other army personnel does in their career. If you were to award him a medal it would only be because he has acheived such a long life span. It would be unfair not to award every other soldier an award too wouldn't it His age doesnt make him a hero

[sveny7]

Happy birthday, and he should of been knighted way back instead of Paul 'O' Grady.

[aries066]

My god! You tell me that this man hasn't been Knighted!? What's this country coming to?

[StrayGator]

I dont think he'd see himself as worthy of such an honour

[ElVaqueroEspanol]

June 17 2008: Harry Patch turns 110 today!

Good on him for doing so well in old age, especially with all the horrendous memories of Passchendaele. Wish I could reassure him somehow that WWI isn't going to be forgotten, and that we owe him and the boys who fought there a LOT.

[jordler]

cool my b day is june 16th

[Corridoamor]

I am sorry! I made a mistake. Harry will actually turn 110 on June 17, 2008. I am so sorry for the mistake!!

[Corridoamor]

Harry will turn 110 on June 6, 2008. He is one of my heroes. May he live to be the age of 125!!!!

[ultradumbass]

wow, he is damn lucky he is that old and healthy for his age, because most people he fought with would never age out their teens.

[thurstons]

Harry Patch, what a great man. He never spoke about WWI until he turned 100.

[Friendo1231]

I hope I meet this man... no really, he's living in a nursing home in Wells, Somerset, England FFS.

[Ann1shoe]

Harry Patch: the last surviving `fighting Tommy` from WW1. Living history, thank goodness we have his memories in print and on screen. Long may he carry on.

[gabzombie99]

he isnt the last living men of ww1. hes just the last person living from the battle of passchendale ridge battle

[theclash23]

Here's to 110 not out.

[surreypuma]

Amazing! 109 and looks in his 80's!