Ted Poe: “They went off to war singing George M. Cohan's song, ``Over there,'' something to the effect that ``Over there, over…”

“They went off to war singing George M. Cohan's song, ``Over there,'' something to the effect that ``Over there, over there, send the word to beware that the Yanks are coming, the Yanks are coming and we won't be back till it's over over there. Those were the World War I doughboys, as they were called in the great World War I. One of those individuals is Frank Buckles. Frank Buckles is an interesting individual. He was born in 1901, February 1, and he was born in Kansas. And when he was 16, the great World War I had already started. And he was at the Kansas State Fair, and he saw a recruiting poster, ``Uncle Sam Wants You.'' So he went to a local marine recruiter, wanted to join the United States Army to go fight the war to end all wars over there in Europe. The marines wouldn't take him. You're too small and you are not 18 years of age. And he continued to try to get in to the Marine Corps. Finally, he decided he would try the United States Army. He went all the way to Oklahoma City. Being only 16 as he said later, I decided to really tell them a whopper and tell them I was 21. The Army recruiter said, Okay, we will sign you up. And he joined the United States Army after vigilantly telling people he was 18 when he was only 16, a volunteer to go fight in that war.”