René Félix Louis Joseph Riffaud (December 19, 1898 – January 16, 2007) was one of the last four 'official' French veterans of the Great War (later renamed World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

) when he died at age 108 in Tosny

Tosny

Tosny is a commune in the Eure department in Haute-Normandie in northern France, some ten miles south of Rouen.-Population:...

, France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

.

Born in Jendouba

Jendouba

Jendouba is a large city in northwestern Tunisia, and capital of the Jendouba Governorate. It is an important crossroads with many road links to other towns such as El Kef, Tabarka, Ain Draham and Béja. The main economic activity is agriculture....

, Tunisia

Tunisia

Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...

, Riffaud was installed in the African Army in April 1917 as a Class 2 soldier and served in various regiments. He was taken out in 1919 after a bout of tuberculosis

Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...

, but was re-installed later that year and served until 1924.

His wife, Lucie, whom he married in 1930, died in 1979. Their only son also pre-deceased him.

Decorations

• Chevalier of the Legion of Honour
  Légion d'honneur
  The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
  
  
• Croix de guerre
  Croix de guerre
  The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
  
   1914-1918
• Cross of the combatant
• Medal commemorative of the war 1914-1918
• Medal of the Recognition of the Nation
• World War I Victory Medal
  World War I Victory Medal
  The World War I Victory Medal is a decoration of the United States military which was first created in 1919, designed by James Earle Fraser. The medal was originally intended to be created by an act of the United States Congress, however the bill authorizing the decoration never passed, leaving...
  
  

See also

• Tirailleurs
• Veterans of the First World War who died in 2007