Waldemar Levy Cardoso

Waldemar Levy Cardoso (December 4, 1900 – May 13, 2009) was the last living Field Marshal of the Brazilian Army. He was of Jewish Algerian-Moroccan descent and was born on Rua Evaristo da Veiga in Rio de Janeiro. Cardoso graduated from military college at the top of his class in late 1918, making him a World War I-era veteran although he never saw combat action. In 1924 he took part in the uprising against the Brazilian Federal Government and also fought in the Brazilian Revolution of 1930. He was mentioned in dispatches in World War II. As a lieutenant colonel, during the World War II, he served in Italy as the commander of an Artillery battalion of the Brazilian Expeditionary Force. He converted to Catholicism in 1953. Between 1953 and 1954, he was the commander of the 2nd Artillery Regiment, in Itu, São Paulo.

He was promoted to Field Marshal upon his retirement in 1966. After his retirement he acted as president of Petrobrás between March and October of 1969, acting as company's counselor between 1971 and 1985. He lived on Rua Tonelero in the Copacabana district of Rio de Janeiro.

In 2007, with 107 years old, he returned to Itu to see the party of the 90th birthday of the 2nd Light Artillery Group, the actual designation of the old Regiment he has commanded. He died in the Hospital Central do Exército on May 13, 2009. Upon his death he was the last Brazilian Field Marshal and the oldest Brazilian World War II veteran.

During his career, Field Marshal Cardoso was awarded with several decorations such as: Brazilian Combat Cross Second Class, Brazilian Expeditionary Force Campaign Cross, Military Merit Order, Military Medal in Gold with Platinum bar (for 40 years of active duty), Brazilian War Medal, US Army Bronze Star, Croce Al Valore Militare (Italy) and the Croix de Guerre avec Palme (France) among others.