It seems that it wasn't too long ago when you could still track down an occasional World War One veteran at a Veteran's Day or Memorial Day observation. I have had the pleasure more than once, and I am sorry to know that the last known man to fight in the Great War, Henry Allingham, has finally left this mortal world at the age of 113. Peter Hankoff, who has spent years looking at the world through the eyes of a documentarian's dirty lens, has a few thoughts on this recent loss which will undoubtedly affect both historians and documentarians. His National Geographic pro
gram Scrapbooks from Hell - The Auschwitz Albums sent him to history's most infamous concentration camp. Other documentaries have taken Peter to Pearl Harbor, Hiroshima, the site of the San Francisco earthquake and other infamous places throughout the world. While en route to France to shoot on location for an upcoming TV program, Peter take a moment to write his thoughts about Henry Allingham, a WWI veteran and the world's oldest man, at 113. Freedom at 113 "Henry Allingham, the world's oldest man, died today after 113 years on the planet. While that may not seem like a lot of time in a geological or historical sense, from a cultural perspective, it's an eternity. Most of what we take for granted was invented in his lifetime - automobiles, planes, rockets, computers, radio, television, modern medicine, digital anything. But what ties him even deeper to history is that he was also the world's oldest veteran." "As a member of the Royal Air Force, he fought for Britain in World War One. Millions died in the war to end all wars and Henry Allingham was a reminder of why we fight and live and remember the sacrifice in order to continue building a world where men can live free to 113." Peter Hankoff is an award-winning documentary director/producer/writer who lives in Los Angeles.
gram Scrapbooks from Hell - The Auschwitz Albums sent him to history's most infamous concentration camp. Other documentaries have taken Peter to Pearl Harbor, Hiroshima, the site of the San Francisco earthquake and other infamous places throughout the world. While en route to France to shoot on location for an upcoming TV program, Peter take a moment to write his thoughts about Henry Allingham, a WWI veteran and the world's oldest man, at 113. Freedom at 113 "Henry Allingham, the world's oldest man, died today after 113 years on the planet. While that may not seem like a lot of time in a geological or historical sense, from a cultural perspective, it's an eternity. Most of what we take for granted was invented in his lifetime - automobiles, planes, rockets, computers, radio, television, modern medicine, digital anything. But what ties him even deeper to history is that he was also the world's oldest veteran." "As a member of the Royal Air Force, he fought for Britain in World War One. Millions died in the war to end all wars and Henry Allingham was a reminder of why we fight and live and remember the sacrifice in order to continue building a world where men can live free to 113." Peter Hankoff is an award-winning documentary director/producer/writer who lives in Los Angeles.For further details visit as : http://www.salem-news.com/articles/july202009/oldest_man_7-20-09.php
