The Last World War Two Veterans Will Soon Be Gone

Summary

The video script features interviews with World War II veterans, capturing their personal experiences and stories from the war. It emphasizes the importance of documenting these firsthand accounts before the last of the veterans pass away. The script also highlights the work of the channel 'Memoirs of WWII,' which aims to preserve the memories of this generation for future generations. The emotional and impactful narratives shared by the veterans provide a unique perspective on history that cannot be found in textbooks.

Takeaways

• 🎥 Albert Woolsen was the last surviving American Civil War veteran who could prove his service, having served as a drummer boy at 14.
• 📹 The footage of Albert Woolsen was filmed in 1956 by a TV station in Saint Paul, Minnesota, offering a rare glimpse into history.
• 👴 The narrator reflects on the importance of capturing the stories of WWII veterans while they are still alive, as a window to the past.
• 🌟 WWII, the deadliest war in history, ended nearly 80 years ago, and the number of living veterans is dwindling rapidly.
• 👴 The youngest WWII veterans are now in their late 90s, and it's estimated that nearly all will be gone by 2040.
• 🏥 Wilbur Grisham, a medic in the Pacific theater, shared his experiences of the war, including the grim reality of handling dismembered bodies.
• ❄️ Marvin Blakeman recounted his service in the European theater, including the Battle of the Bulge, where the cold was a defining memory.
• 🗡️ The Japanese military's brutal tactics, such as ruling with the bayonet and executing people to instill fear, are described.
• 🔍 The narrator emphasizes the importance of preserving the personal stories of WWII veterans, which history books often cannot capture.
• 🎬 The channel 'Memoirs of WWII' is highlighted for its efforts to document and honor the experiences of the remaining WWII veterans.

Q & A

Who was Albert Woolsen and what was his significance?

Albert Woolsen was the last surviving American Civil War veteran who could prove that he actually fought in the war. He was born in 1850 and served as a drummer boy for the Union Army at the age of 14 in 1864.

When was the footage of Albert Woolsen filmed?

The footage of Albert Woolsen was filmed in 1956 by a TV station in Saint Paul, Minnesota, shortly before he passed away.

What is the importance of documenting the experiences of World War II veterans?

Documenting the experiences of World War II veterans is important because it allows future generations to learn history directly from those who experienced it firsthand, capturing personal stories that history books often cannot.

How many World War II veterans are estimated to be alive today?

Around 70 million people fought in World War II, and less than 75,000 of them are estimated to be still alive today.

What is the projected time until nearly all World War II veterans have passed away?

Based on current estimates, nearly all of the World War II veterans will be dead by the year 2040.

What was Wilbur Grisham's role in the Pacific theater of World War II?

Wilbur Grisham served as a medic in the Pacific theater, where his duty was to identify the deceased by their dog tags and move the bodies to take care of the next.

What significant event did Marvin Blakeman participate in during the European theater of World War II?

Marvin Blakeman served with the 83rd Infantry Division, landed at Normandy, and fought in the Battle of the Bulge during the European theater of World War II.

What was the most memorable aspect of the Battle of the Bulge for Marvin Blakeman?

The most memorable aspect of the Battle of the Bulge for Marvin Blakeman was the extreme cold, which was embedded in his mind ever since.

How did the Japanese forces control the areas they occupied during World War II according to the transcript?

The Japanese forces controlled the areas they occupied by taking a few people out and killing them in front of the rest of the inhabitants to instill fear and compliance.

What is the mission of the channel 'Memoirs of World War II'?

The mission of the channel 'Memoirs of World War II' is to interview and honor the few surviving World War II veterans left, capturing their important and fascinating stories before they are lost forever.

What are the three types of World War II veterans that the channel 'Memoirs of World War II' interviews?

The three types of World War II veterans that the channel interviews are: 'I do' veterans who tell exactly what they did during the war, 'I think' veterans who also share their thoughts on their experiences, and 'I feel' veterans who express their emotions about what they went through.

Outlines

00:00

🎥 Albert Woolsen: The Last Proven Union Army Veteran

The paragraph introduces Albert Woolsen, identified as the last surviving American Civil War veteran who could prove his service. Born in 1850, he served as a drummer boy for the Union Army at the age of 14. The footage of him was filmed in 1956 by a TV station in Saint Paul, Minnesota, shortly before his death. The narrator reflects on the significance of being able to converse with veterans from historical wars, emphasizing the importance of documenting the experiences of World War II veterans before it's too late. The paragraph also mentions the lack of technology during the Revolutionary War that could have captured such interviews.

05:05

📚 Preserving WWII Veterans' Stories: A Race Against Time

This paragraph discusses the urgency of documenting the stories of World War II veterans, as most of them have already passed away. It mentions that there are less than 75,000 WWII veterans alive today, and by 2040, it's estimated that nearly all will be gone. The narrator shares personal experiences of interviewing two veterans, Wilbur Grisham, who served as a medic in the Pacific theater, and Marvin Blakeman, who fought in the European theater, including at Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge. The paragraph also introduces the work of the 'Memoirs of World War II' channel, which aims to interview and honor the remaining WWII veterans, capturing their personal and often untold stories.

10:08

🚩 Honoring WWII Veterans: The Emotional Impact of Their Stories

The final paragraph focuses on the emotional weight and the personal connection that comes with hearing the firsthand accounts of WWII veterans. It describes the different types of veterans interviewed based on their willingness to share their experiences, thoughts, and feelings about the war. The paragraph also recounts a powerful moment where a veteran shares a deeply emotional story about losing his best friend in combat. The narrator emphasizes the importance of preserving these stories for future generations and the gratitude felt by the veterans and their families when their stories are documented and honored. The paragraph concludes with a call to action for viewers to support the 'Memoirs of World War II' channel and a shout-out to the narrator's Patreon supporters.

Keywords

💡American Civil War

The American Civil War was a conflict fought in the United States from 1861 to 1865. It was primarily over the issues of slavery and states' rights. In the context of the video, Albert Woolsen is mentioned as the last surviving American Civil War veteran who could prove his service, emphasizing the historical significance of having living connections to such a pivotal event in American history.

💡World War II

World War II was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, involving many of the world's nations, including all of the great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances. The video script discusses the importance of documenting the experiences of World War II veterans, as they are a rapidly diminishing resource, and their firsthand accounts provide invaluable insights into the war.

💡Veteran

A veteran is a person who has served in the military. The video script focuses on the stories of World War II veterans, highlighting their unique perspectives and the importance of preserving their memories. The term is used to honor the service and experiences of those who fought in the war.

💡Intelligence and Reconnaissance

Intelligence and reconnaissance refer to the activities involved in gathering information about the enemy during wartime. In the video, one of the veterans mentions being trained in an INR platoon, which was responsible for learning how to read maps and conduct patrols without being detected, illustrating the critical role of intelligence in military operations.

💡The Holocaust

The Holocaust was the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million Jews by the Nazi regime and its collaborators during World War II. The video script makes a poignant reference to the Holocaust, noting that some people have forgotten or are unaware of its occurrence, underscoring the importance of remembering and learning from history.

💡Normandy

Normandy is a region in France where one of the most significant battles of World War II, D-Day, took place on June 6, 1944. The video script recounts the experiences of a veteran who landed at Normandy and fought through France, including in the Battle of the Bulge, highlighting the importance of this location in the history of the war.

💡Battle of the Bulge

The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive campaign against the Allies in Western Europe during World War II, in December 1944 and January 1945. The video script includes a veteran's recollection of the extreme cold during this battle, which was a significant and memorable aspect of his experience.

💡Pacific Theater

The Pacific Theater refers to the region of the Pacific Ocean where many of the battles between the Allies and Japan took place during World War II. A veteran in the video served as a medic in the Pacific Theater, dealing with the aftermath of bombing and the severe injuries inflicted on soldiers, showcasing the harrowing conditions faced by those in the theater.

💡European Theater

The European Theater encompasses the regions of Europe, North Africa, and the Atlantic where significant battles took place during World War II. The video script features a veteran who served in the 83rd Infantry Division in this theater, providing a firsthand account of the challenges and experiences of soldiers in this critical part of the war.

💡Memoirs of World War II

Memoirs of World War II is a channel mentioned in the video script that is dedicated to interviewing and honoring the remaining World War II veterans. The channel's work is highlighted as a crucial effort to capture the personal stories and experiences of these veterans before they are lost to time, emphasizing the importance of preserving their memories.

💡Patreon

Patreon is a platform that allows creators to receive financial support from their audience through monthly donations. In the video script, the creator thanks their Patreon supporters, indicating that the platform is used to fund the production of content, including the interviews and stories of World War II veterans featured in the video.

Highlights

Albert Woolsen, the last surviving American Civil War veteran who could prove his service, was born in 1850 and served as a drummer boy at 14.

The footage of Albert Woolsen was filmed in 1956 by a TV station in Saint Paul, Minnesota, shortly before his death.

The importance of documenting World War II veterans' experiences for historical impact, similar to the significance of speaking with veterans from earlier wars.

World War II, the deadliest war in history, ended nearly 80 years ago, and the day the narrator was born was closer to it than the present day.

Around 70 million people fought in World War II, and less than 75,000 are still alive today.

The urgency to document the experiences of World War II veterans before their memories and lives are lost.

Wilbur Grisham's service as a medic in the Pacific theater, dealing with the aftermath of bomb explosions.

Marvin Blakeman's experiences in the European theater, including the Battle of the Bulge and the harsh cold that left a lasting memory.

The Japanese military's use of fear and violence to control towns and populations during the war.

The narrator's personal connection to World War II veterans and the emotional impact of their stories.

The Memoirs of World War II channel's mission to interview and honor the remaining World War II veterans.

The different types of veterans interviewed: those who tell facts, those who share thoughts, and those who express feelings.

The emotional release and connection when veterans share their stories for the first time in decades.

The profound experience of showing a veteran the video of his interview and his emotional reaction to it.

The importance of understanding the personal stories behind war, beyond the scope of video games and history books.

The responsibility to keep the memory of The Greatest Generation alive for future generations.

Transcripts

This is Albert Woolsen, the last  surviving American Civil War veteran,  

at least…the last surviving American  Civil War veteran who could prove that  

he actually fought in that war. He was  born in 1850. In 1864, at the age of 14,  

he became a drummer boy for the Union Army. Oh,  by the way, this footage that you are watching of  

him? A TV station in Saint Paul, Minnesota  filmed it in 1956, shortly before he died.

imagine if you were able to talk with someone  from the Revolutionary War or the Civil War  

how impactful would that be and we have the  opportunity right now with World War II veterans  

to have that experience and to document that  experience in a way that is going to be very  

impactful because unfortunately back then when  it comes to the Revolutionary War we didn't have  

the technological means of capturing interviews  like that I'm Mr beat World War II the biggest  

and deadliest war in human history ended nearly 80  years ago the day I was born was closer to it than  

the present day man I'm old but you know who's  older these three dudes who were all born the year  

after World War II ended often we learn history  directly from those who experienced it firsthand  

but the vast majority of folks who experienced  World War II firsthand are now dead around  

70 million people fought in World War II less  than 75,000 of them are still around today some  

people don't even realize that there are still  some around left when I tell people that I'm  

out doing interviews with World War II veterans  they appreciate it do you ever play the game of  

what if in your life what if this happened what if  that happened what if those men had arrived on the  

correct date we would have been in the Filipino is  for the Baton Death March that was something I'm  

glad I missed it was a good life uh sometimes  I think that uh uh maybe we were getting too  

complacent in those days and uh we didn't realize  what was happening was going to be a serious as it  

was when it happened if we're talking about World  War II you know the youngest World War II veterans  

today are in their late 9s unit I was trained  in was uh called the INR platoon that means uh  

intelligence and reconnaissance and it was our  job to U learn how to read maps and how to uh  

go on patrols without being seen without being  noticed hopefully the idea was to spot the enemy  

see what they were doing they really learn the  country I was an 18-year-old kid in high school  

and it it didn't really register with me what was  going on we heard some about it we didn't have  

TV and radio like you have now based on current  estimates nearly all of them will be dead by the  

year 2040 15 years is is a projection of how long  we have until all the World War II veterans are  

actually gone but uh if you consider the number  of them that are living still but unfortunately  

unable to recall their experience during the war  then that number you know drops even lower I was  

extremely fortunate to spend some time with two  of them Wilbur Grisham served as a medic in the  

Pacific theater of the war have you ever seen the  dismembered body parts missing that's what we had  

depending on how close they were to the center  of the bomb explosion we had individuals that had  

legs off and arms off and you had just parts of a  body that was hard my duty was to get the dog tag  

out get the man's name get it on a piece of paper  and move the body on and take care of the next to  

him that was rather hard to see Marvin blakeman  served with the 83rd Infantry Division in the  

European theater of the war he landed at Normandy  and saw combat as he marched through France  

eventually fighting in the Battle of the Bulge the  thing that I remember most about the Battle of the  

Bulge was the cold I thought it was never going to  get warm again in my life I thought the world was  

going to blow up being cold that cold was just  embedded in my mind ever since the Japanese at  

that time to us were bad people they did not  have as many men available as we did so they  

ruled with the bayonet they would control a town  or an area by taking a few people out and killing  

right in front of the rest of the inhabitants  of the area and say if you don't do what we  

tell you we'll do the same to you and they would  do that each island that they landed on and took  

over that's how they controlled them we went  into the Eds and here things were beginning  

to really get sticky because we were getting in  Small Arms fire which means that the enemy was  

uh just on the other side of a hedge or two they  were firing at us some of these places had little  

opening the hedro didn't come all the way  I was looking over hedro that night and  

was almost getting dark and uh I saw I saw  a little movement going from the one one of  

the Hedge RS to the other hedge RS it  was obviously uh someone was crawling  

along the field there we were close enough we  could speak to each other if we wanted to I  

also was extremely fortunate to spend the day  with Hudson who works with the channel memoir  

of World War II we are against time here there's  only a few of them left and they're going away  

quickly and without their messages we'll forget  there are people who forget that the Holocaust  

actually happened some people haven't even heard  of the Holocaust there's a lot of lessons that you  

can learn from these veterans the folks at Memoirs  of World War II travel to as many places as they  

can to interview and honor the few surviving World  War II veterans left these veterans have not only  

important stories to share but fascinating  stories and because they are personal stories  

they capture what history books often can't  I've seen stuff that a kid shouldn't [Music]

see that was bad and the videos are incredibly  well produced the channel is a gym check it out  

I started to recognize that the World War  II veterans were passing away quickly and  

if I was going to have an opportunity to  talk with them now would be the time to  

do it that's Heather and Josh they started the  channel back in 2017 and you know I would watch  

series like B of brothers and I loved that every  episode started with an interview with the actual  

guys from Easy company that intrigued me a lot  and so I always thought you know man it'd be so  

cool to go and talk to one of these guys Heather  and Josh told me that there are often three types  

of World War II veterans they interview I do I  think I feel the I do veterans just prefer to  

tell you exactly what they did during the War I  think vets not only tell you what they did but  

they tell you what they thought about what they  did I feel vets as you probably guessed already  

also tell you what they felt about what they  did they became closer bonded we we were just  

happy with each other and it was a good feeling  feeling of togetherness just Brotherhood uh as  

you were just content with each other I was so  proud of them and so proud to have been a part  

of it I would connect with ones that would say I  feel you know so much like emotion in it and you  

could get more information because they were  there I remember the first time we had a war  

War II veteran that told us this is the first  time I'm telling anyone this in 75 years and  

they were telling Josh who they just met you  know minutes before they brought in a fellow  

who had been hit and he was screaming morphine  and the Medics just call me told him well he's  

sorry but he's all out of morphine we already  used it all up I'll never forget that moment as  

soon as those guys jumped out and got behind the  no he quickly turned the Jeep around and started  

to go forward and he ran over a anti-tank line  was just B the bits right there in the driver's

side he got the worst of it was killed immediately  and I said where's TR I said who he's dead and it  

just it struck me like a bullet my best friend  gone like that all my breath was gone everything  

was gone and I just stood there and just wept  I don't know for how long but uh we had we had  

lost our best man and uh and he was doing it  in line of duty and he saved three lives and  

I I think he was uh dutifully decorated for that  can you describe to me what you were feeling and  

do you recall when the war ended I was in Camp  Carson Colorado and you could hear the Roar of  

people yelling it's over Suddenly It's Over we've  been under a certain stress for so long and all  

a sudden it stopped it's over we had the privilege  of going to their home and showing them the edit  

before we releas which is terrifying I go to  his house uh to show him the completed video  

that was amazing to just sit there and watch  him react to it after the video is done he  

stands straight up and he salutes Josh and he's  crying and he's just like those were the worst  

days of my life but looking back they were  the best days of my life and you Capt caped  

that for me and just to have that honor like  a World War II veteran honor it was just so  

rewarding these kids are playing video games  and they're just shooting people and they're  

not thinking about like what was that person's  story and I think in war realizing you're not  

just out there playing a game there are stories  and there's a connection you know it's kind of  

crazy how we are the last people to hear their  stories in person and how truly lucky we are  

to get this amazing footage of them in 4K The Greatest Generation will soon be gone,  

but it’s up to us to keep their  memory alive for generations to come.

Thanks to Hudson and everyone at the channel  Memoirs of WWII for letting me collaborate  

with them. Be sure to check out their channel  and subscribe. And it’s now time for my monthly  

(or semi-monthly) shout out to all my Patreon  supporters who donate at least $15 or more each  

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