Kentucky says goodbye to its oldest WWII vet

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Reporter - Julie Collins
Photojournalist - Chad Darnall

Story Created: Mon Jul 2, 2012 6:00 PM

Story Updated: Tue Jul 3, 2012 12:02 AM

GRAVES COUNTY, Ky. — World War II veterans are dying at an average of 740 a day, 270,000 just last year. Sadly, the country in general and Kentucky in particular lost a very special member of that fraternity Thursday.

John Baldree of Graves County, Kentucky, was the third oldest World War II vet left at 102.

Baldree was an engineer in the U.S. Army Air Corps in the Philippines and Australia during WWII.

He lost his wife in 1996. It was then when his nephew Randie took over his care. After all, he was just returning the favor to a man who continued to serve long after his tour of duty.

"My dad died when I was 9 years old and it was his younger brother and he just more or less stepped in," Randie Baldree said. "He was a fine man. I wish everybody could have knew him."

John Baldree was mourned at Brown Funeral Home in Mayfield. He is buried at the Liberty cemetery in Leeder Bottoms.