↑ Ponticelli's date of birth, according to the civil registry, was 7 December 1897, although this is likely to be a mistake. It was probably recorded as 27 December 1897 in the registry and the "2" was eroded. Ponticelli's mother remembered giving birth on 24 December (Christmas Eve) and that a snowstorm delayed any exit from the house for three days.[1]
↑ In June 2008, three months after Ponticelli's death, Fernand Goux was discovered to be a French veteran. However, Goux was not officially recognized as a poilu, or foot soldier, even though he was called up for service on 19 April, since he was only in the trenches from 3 November 1918 to the signing of the armistice on 11 November 1918.[3] Pierre Picault survived Goux by less than two weeks, but himself was an artilleryman who served less than three months, and is likewise not recognized by the French government as an "official" WWI veteran.
