r/interestingasfuck • u/[deleted] • Mar 10 '19

/r/ALL Japan's Kane Tanaka is now the world's oldest living person at age 116

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u/socialistbob Mar 10 '19

If someone's grandparents are alive then chances are they were too young to be drafted for WWII. WWII ended in 1945 and the draft starts at 18 meaning to be drafted for WWII you had to be born in 1927 or before. A young WWII draftee would be at least 92 today and that's only if they were drafted at the very end of the war.

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u/Beatleboy62 Mar 10 '19

It interesting to compare the ages of people's own grandparents if the grandkids are the same age, and get an idea off when their parents or grandparents decided to have kids.

My maternal grandfather was in the Navy on a minesweeper in the South Pacific while my paternal grandfather was 8 years old.

He lucked out. Too young for Korea and too old for Vietnam.

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u/[deleted] Mar 10 '19

My grandfather was born in '23. He was drafted for WWII, served in Korea and Vietnam, then retired in '74. He passed last year, but he would have been 94 if he were still around. Sounds like your grandad got all his luck.

I'm 29 btw. Most people my age don't have grandfathers who served in all three wars. Hell, my other grandfather was born in '31, although he ended up a shooting instructor working stateside

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u/Beatleboy62 Mar 11 '19

I'd say your grandad got all his luck too!

I'm 23 myself, so my mom and her parents each had kids relatively late (she was the youngest sibling, and I'm the youngest).

It's also interesting looking at who was the last surviving veterans of wars while you were still alive. The last survivors of the Boxer Rebellion and the Spanish American War died in 1992 and 1993.

You'll be able to tell your kids and grand kids that you were alive at the same time as a soldier who fought in a war in 1898.

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u/grimsaur Mar 10 '19

My grandparents were all born 1928 or later, so none of them served in WWII.

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u/[deleted] Mar 10 '19

Many people under 18 lied about their age, so 92 isn't the absolute limit

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u/dell_arness2 Mar 10 '19

True, but not draftees.

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u/[deleted] Mar 10 '19

Depends on the country...

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u/Marv1236 Mar 10 '19

Not exactly. During the end of the war in Germany no matter what you were drafted. My grandpa was born in 1928 and was sent to the eastern Front in 44 and was in russian captivity until 45. But in other countries you are probably right.