Canada's last link to the First World War is a citizen again.

John (Jack) Babcock is now 107-years-old and living in Spokane, Washington. But he wasn't always an American. He grew up in a rural community, on a farm near Kingston, Ont. He's now Canada's only surviving veteran from the Great War.

Babcock tried to join the Canadian army in 1915 at the tender age of 15. He was young, but tenacious, and he didn't mind lying to fight for his cause. He finally made it to Britain and served, but didn't see combat.

"There were a lot of good guys that got to the front and a lot of them got killed," he told CTV News recently for an exclusive report.

After the war, he moved to the U.S. and became a citizen there, and that forced him to renounce his Canadian citizenship.

Babcock got back his citizenship officially on Thursday after writing a simple two line letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

"Could I have my citizenship restored," it asked, noting, "I would appreciate it."

The idea to get his Canadian citizenship returned came from Veterans Affairs Minister Greg Thompson, who visited Babcock a few weeks ago.

"I said Jack, would you be interested in getting your Canadian citizenship back ... He said right away, 'It would be wonderful, if you could,'" Thompson recalled, in an interview with CTV News.

Babcock's always been modest about his service during the war. He didn't make it to Europe's front lines.

"I ate up a lot of good government rations,'' a humble Babcock has joked in past interviews.

"I think if I had a chance, I would have gone to France, taken my chances like the rest of them did.''

Veterans groups say they're thrilled the old soldier is officially a Canadian again.

"He has his Canadian citizenship back. I say, good on you, Jack. Way to go," says Cliff Chadderton of War Amps.