Years of service 1942–45 | Name Richard Overton | |
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Born May 11, 1906 (age 117)
Bastrop County, Texas ( 1906-05-11 ) Battles and wars Pacific Ocean theater of World War II | ||
Allegiance United States of America Battles/wars South Pacific Theater Service/branch United States Army | ||
Richard Arvin Overton (born May 11, 1906) is an American supercentenarian who at age 111 years, 126 days is the oldest verified surviving U.S. war veteran and the oldest living man in the United States. He is a veteran of World War II who served with the United States Army. In 2013 he was honored by President Barack Obama. He currently resides in Austin, Texas.
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Early life and education
Overton was born in Bastrop County, Texas to Jim Gentry Overton (1877–1920) and Elizabeth Franklin Overton Waters (1876–1939). His father's paternal grandfather, John Overton, Jr., was white and a son of John Overton. He is of African-American, English and Irish descent.
Military and civilian career
Overton was inducted into the U.S. military on September 3, 1940 at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
He served in the South Pacific from 1940 through 1945, including stops in Hawaii, Guam, Palau and Iwo Jima. He left the U.S. Army in October 1945 as a technician fifth grade.
Overton worked at local furniture stores before taking a position with the Texas Department of the Treasury (now part of the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts) in Austin. He was married twice and never had children.
Later life
Overton gained media attention during the 2013 Memorial Day weekend when he told Fox News he would spend his Memorial Day "smoking cigars and drinking whiskey-stiffened coffee."
On that same Memorial Day, Overton met with Texas Governor Rick Perry. Overton was also invited to the White House where he met with President Barack Obama, and to the Veterans' Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, where he was singled out by name for praise by the President.
During an NBA game between the San Antonio Spurs and the Memphis Grizzlies on March 24, 2017, Overton was honored during a half-time break.
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. On May 3, 2016, he became the oldest surviving American veteran after the death of Frank Levingston from Bossier Parish, Lake Charles, Louisiana.
On May 11, 2016, Overton became a supercentenarian.
Personal life
When he was 82 years old, he became a widower when his wife, Wilma, died in 1988. He lives in Austin, Texas. In November 2015, Overton was hospitalized there for pneumonia at the age of 109.
A week after celebrating his 111th birthday in May 2017, he was once again hospitalized for pneumonia.
In August 2017, Overton was hospitalized in Austin for pneumonia in both of his lungs.