Scrim
03-27-2004, 05:46 PM
March 27, 2004, 10:42 AM EST
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) _ A decorated Marine veteran of World War I, one of the last surviving wounded soldiers of that war, has died at Community General Hospital in Syracuse.
Gene Lee died Thursday, one day after he turned 105.
Lee grew up in suburban Liverpool, where he lived most of his life, and enlisted in the Marines in April 1917, shortly after he turned 18 and the United States entered the war. He went to France as part of the Fifth Marine Regiment.
Lee fought in many engagements, earning a silver star at Belleau Wood for carrying wounded troops to safety under shell fire. He was wounded in battle by a bullet in the left wrist, joined an elite ceremonial guard for Gen. John Pershing and returned home a hero.
He was met at the train station Sept. 29, 1919, by about 200 people, who escorted him to Liverpool in a 75-car caravan.
"They rang the fire bell," Lee recalled in a 2000 interview. "Gosh, what a time."
Lee retired in 1964 after more than 40 years with the Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. Mabel, his wife of 66 years, died in 1993.
Calling hours and services are scheduled Tuesday in Liverpool. He will be buried with military honors in Pine Plains Cemetery in Clay.
RIP
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) _ A decorated Marine veteran of World War I, one of the last surviving wounded soldiers of that war, has died at Community General Hospital in Syracuse.
Gene Lee died Thursday, one day after he turned 105.
Lee grew up in suburban Liverpool, where he lived most of his life, and enlisted in the Marines in April 1917, shortly after he turned 18 and the United States entered the war. He went to France as part of the Fifth Marine Regiment.
Lee fought in many engagements, earning a silver star at Belleau Wood for carrying wounded troops to safety under shell fire. He was wounded in battle by a bullet in the left wrist, joined an elite ceremonial guard for Gen. John Pershing and returned home a hero.
He was met at the train station Sept. 29, 1919, by about 200 people, who escorted him to Liverpool in a 75-car caravan.
"They rang the fire bell," Lee recalled in a 2000 interview. "Gosh, what a time."
Lee retired in 1964 after more than 40 years with the Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. Mabel, his wife of 66 years, died in 1993.
Calling hours and services are scheduled Tuesday in Liverpool. He will be buried with military honors in Pine Plains Cemetery in Clay.
RIP