These were the last surviving veterans of every major American war through World War I

A reminder that our World War II veterans won’t be around forever.

In 2023, the VA’s Veteran Population Projection (VetPop) Model counted 95,000. It estimated just 31,000 in 2026. And here we are. At last count (in 2025) the United States had only 45,418 World War II veterans still alive, a loss of just under half in three years. It’s a stark reminder that one day there will be no one left of the 16.4 million who served during World War II.

World War II and Korea veterans have a little bit of time left; The VA estimates the last one will pass in the 2040s, with a similar determination for Korean War vets. That’s a good long life, to be sure, but it closes the book on a significant chapter of our collective past. It can’t be easy to be the last of a dying generation, but someone has to be. Here are the last living veterans of America’s other conflicts.

Revolutionary War: John Gray

John Gray, last surviving veteran of the Revolutionary War. (Library of Congress)

Born near Mount Vernon, Virginia, on Jan. 6, 1764, John Gray enlisted in the Continental Army at age 16 in 1780. He served in the final phase of the war and was present at the Siege of Yorktown, witnessing the surrender of British General Cornwallis in October 1781.

After the war, Gray married and moved west to the Northwest Territory, eventually settling in Noble County, Ohio, where he spent most of his life. His short term of service initially disqualified him from a pension, but Congress awarded him one by special act in 1866. He lived to see the entire American Civil War as a civilian before dying on March 29, 1868, at age 104 in Hiramsburg, Ohio. He is recognized as the last verified surviving veteran of the Revolutionary War.

War of 1812: Hiram Cronk

Photography wasn’t too shabby back then, I guess.

The last surviving veteran of “Mr. Madison’s War,” Cronk was born in 1800 in Upstate New York. As a young man, he served with the New York Volunteers in the defense of Sackets Harbor, the key American shipyard on Lake Ontario that came under direct British attack.
Cronk lived an extraordinary 105 years and collected a monthly pension of $97 from both New York State and the federal government right up until his death in 1905—roughly $3,693.97 in 2026 dollars.

When he passed, thousands turned out for his funeral, with his body lying in state at New York City Hall before a massive procession through Brooklyn.

Mexican-American War: Owen Thomas Edgar

Last surviving veteran of the Mexican-American War Owen Thomas Edgar.

Born in Philadelphia in 1831, Owen Thomas Edgar served as a U.S. Navy sailor during the Mexican-American War aboard the frigates Potomac, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, and Experience. After three years of service he earned just a single promotion before returning to civilian life.

Edgar lived to age 98 and died in 1929, the last confirmed surviving veteran of the war. His long life bridged the age of wooden sailing ships and the early years of the Great Depression.

Read the entire article on the WE ARE THE MIGHTY  website here:

External Web Site Notice: This page contains information directly presented from an external source. The terms and conditions of this page may not be the same as those of this website. Click here to read the full disclaimer notice for external web sites. Thank you.