Richard Arvin Overton
Richard Arvine Overton | |
|---|---|
| File:Mr- Overton 2013-08-07 15-58.jpg | |
| Born | May 11, 1906 Bastrop County, Texas |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1942–45 |
| Rank | Sergeant |
| Unit | 1887th Engineer Aviation Battalion (Colored) |
| Battles / wars | South Pacific Theater |
Richard Arvine Overton (born May 11, 1906) is an American centenarian who is the oldest verified surviving American veteran upon the death of Frank Levingston on May 3, 2016. He is a veteran of World War II [1][2][3][4] and currently lives in Austin, Texas.
Early life
Overton was born in Bastrop County, Texas to Jim Gentry Overton (1877–1920) and Elizabeth "Lizzie" Franklin Overton Waters (1876–1939). His father's paternal grandfather, John Overton, Jr., was white and a son of John Overton. President Andrew Jackson is also a distant relative to Overton.[citation needed]
Military career
Overton enlisted in the military on 3 September 1942 at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.[5] He served in the South Pacific from 1942 through 1945, including stops in Hawaii, Guam, Palau and Iwo Jima. He left the U.S. Army in October 1945 as Sergeant.[6][page needed]
After service
Overton worked at local furniture stores before taking a position with the Texas Department of the Treasury in Austin. He was married twice and never had children. Overton gained some attention on the Internet during the Memorial Day weekend in 2013 when he told Fox News he would spend his Memorial Day "smoking cigars and drinking whiskey-stiffened coffee."[7][8]
On that same Memorial Day, Overton met with Texas Governor Rick Perry.[9] Overton was also invited to the White House where he met with President Obama, and to the Veterans' Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, where he was singled out by name for praise by the President.[4][10][11]
When he was 82 years old, his wife, Wilma, died in 1988.[12] He lives in Austin, Texas. In November 2015, Overton was hospitalized for pneumonia at the age of 109 in Austin.[13]
At 109, he is the oldest living veteran of WW2, six days older than the second oldest veteran William Arthur Sheets (born May 17, 1906), who happens to be the oldest living US Navy veteran of WW2.
Overton is the subject of a 2016 documentary, Mr. Overton, in which he is interviewed about his daily routine, thoughts on his longevity, and his military service. It is currently on the film festival circuit.
References
- ^ Royce-Bartlett, Lindy (November 11, 2013). "Oldest World War II vet Richard Overton, 107, honored by President Obama". CNN.
- ^ Thuman, Scott (November 11, 2013), Richard Overton honored by President Obama on Veterans Day, WJLA-TV
- ^ Toppo, Greg (November 10, 2013). "Oldest living WWII vet to meet with Obama". USA Today.
- ^ a b "Oldest known WWII veteran honored at Arlington ceremony". Fox News Channel. November 11, 2013.
- ^ National Archives and Records Administration. U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005. Original data: Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, 1938-1946 [Archival Database]; ARC: 1263923. World War II Army Enlistment Records; Records of the National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 64; National Archives at College Park. College Park, Maryland, U.S.A. See transcription of record here. Accessed 1 September 2015. (subscription required)
- ^ Saunders, Nelson W. The 1887 Engineer Aviation Battalion. [Guam]: [The Battalion], 1945. OCLC 35574682
- ^ "America's oldest veteran to spend quiet Memorial Day at Texas home". Fox News Channel. May 26, 2013. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- ^ Golgowski, Nina (May 25, 2013). "America's oldest vet, aged 107, who saw comrades fall in WWII to spend Memorial Day with cigars and whiskey-stiffened coffee". Daily Mail. London. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
- ^ "Oldest living WWII vet meets Gov. Perry". My Fox Austin. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
- ^ Jackson, David (November 11, 2013). "Obama: 'We will never forget' veterans". USA Today.
- ^ President Barack Obama greets Richard Overton, White House, November 2013
- ^ Texas Death Index, Wilma Overton. Accessed 1 September 2015. (subscription required)
- ^ "Austinite Richard Overton, nation's oldest WWII veteran, hospitalized". Statesman.com. November 11, 2015. Retrieved November 21, 2015.