February 7, 2012
Ottawa — The Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Veterans Affairs, today issued the following statement:
“On behalf of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Government of Canada, I extend my most sincere condolences to the family of Florence Green who is the world’s last known First World War Veteran. Ms. Green passed away on Saturday in King’s Lynn, England, just two weeks before her 111th birthday.
“Ms. Green joined the Women’s Royal Air Force in September 1918 at the age of 17. She worked as a waitress in the officers’ mess at RAF (Royal Air Force) Marham in eastern England until the war ended.
“The passing of Florence Green is another reminder that all of us must continue to remember and honour the sacrifices of all Veterans. The First World War shaped Canada as a nation. More than 650,000 brave Canadians and Newfoundlanders served in the First World War and we will remember them.
“In 2010, Canada’s last known First World Veteran, John Babcock, passed away. This marked the end of an era in Canadian history. With the passing of Ms. Green, we mark another significant milestone in the history of the First World War.”
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Janice Summerby
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Phone: 613-992-7468
Codie Taylor
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information@vac-acc.gc.ca
