THE LAST SHALL BE FIRST by Robert Soto

THE LAST SHALL BE FIRST by Robert Soto

December 13, 2009

Matthew 20:16 "So the last will be first, and the first will be last."

For most people, Frank Woodruff Buckles is just another name. But Frank is the last surviving United States World War I veteran. He is now 108 years old and after he is gone, all we will have of our World War I veterans will be memories left behind by pictures, stories, movies, books and documentaries. He enlisted when he was 16 years of age. He has confessed that he had lied to the recruiters and told them he was 18 years of age. After he survived the First World War, he served in the Second World War and was taken prisoner by the Japanese for three and a half years. Today at 108 years of age, Frank is still going strong and is fighting for a World War One Memorial in Washington DC. Ironically, a couple of politicians keep getting in his way. I have often wondered how it would feel to be the last. I'm sure when Frank enrolled in the US Army, he never imagined being last. He never imagined being a spokesman for the 117,000 soldiers who died in World War One. But for some reason, through the providence of God, Frank now stands alone and as a leader for the cause of the millions who served our country in World War One.

As I read about Frank and his life, I could not help but think of a verse in the Bible. Who is first and who is last and who has the greater rewards. While the passage deals with fair payment practices, it also brings to light the fact that greatness does not depend on who is first and foremost in peoples' lives. Some of the greatest people I ever met have always told me they never meant to be known or recognized. They were just doing what they felt in their heart was the right thing to do and were doing it quietly, for no one else to know. They were never in the forefront of the battles. They were never the spokesmen for a cause. They never became the poster child of any organization. But in their own quiet way, they kept serving and doing what they felt was best for the people they were called to serve. In the end, no one remembers all the veterans who accomplished great deeds of honor in World War One. It does not mean they did not deserve it. But today, a man who just volunteered to serve his country, never expecting to be given this honor, by the country he served and by God above, is now known as the last surviving veteran of World War One. Today he stands as a lone voice reminding us of all the men and women who served and sacrificed their lives to protect our country from 1917 to 1918.

Robert Soto, Lipan Apache and pastor of:

McAllen Grace Brethren Church
The Native American New Life Center
Chief of Chiefs Christian Church