ROS sends us a link to International Business Times which writes about Richard Overton, believed to be our oldest veteran;
According to the Houston Chronicle, Overton, born on May 11, 1906, in Bastrop County, Texas, is a World War II Army veteran who fought in the South Pacific. After the war, he moved to Austin, sold furniture and worked for the state treasurer’s office. He still drives a car and walks without a cane.
He’s been invited to the White House for today’s festivities. There’s a video interview at KEYE-TV. His secret to his long life? “Whiskey, cigars and “staying out of trouble.””
Those who know him are amazed by him. “It’s not every day you get to meet a 107 year old World War II veteran that still drives and smokes 12 cigars a day and has a 90 year old girlfriend and drives to church and cuts his grass and takes a baby aspirin a day,” says Allen Bergeron, a veteran’s consultant for the city of Austin.
So what is Overton’s secret to longevity? “Stay out of trouble, I guess, tend to your own business, don’t somebody gonna kill you now, they shootin’ at everybody now, every night, they shootin’ somebody, so you gotta be careful,” says Overton.
Thank you, sir, for your service.
‘Stay out of trouble’. Whatta guy! It is not every day that you get to run into a centenarian who acts like he’s about 50, has a girlfried, and did all those other things.
We should all live so long, and kick butt right up to the end.
Talk about the Pacific war and most folks imagine Marines and sailors, not the Army. Talk about the Pacific war and most folks think of white Americans, maybe Native Americans, too. Who conjures an image of the black Marines, soldiers, and sailors who served in the Pacific? Not me, I’m sorry to admit. Here’s a video to that service. The Pacific action begins at at the 5 min mark. It’s well worth the look.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qt2QMgb7NS8
@3 2/17 Air Cav
“Talk about the Pacific war and most folks imagine Marines and sailors”
That is because the the USMC propaganda machine.
6 Marine Divisions (the entire Corps) and 27 Army Divisions in that theater. I believe there were only 2 landings by the USMC where the Army was not involved (and usually outnumbered Marines)
But you are correct…most people totally forget about the Army in the pacific
“…that still drives and smokes 12 cigars a day and has a 90 year old girlfriend…”
Cradle robber!
This is a great story for Veteran’s Day!
Thank you, Mr. Overton, for your service then and being an inspiration now for us all.
Hardcore.
Thank you Mr. Overton for your service and sacrifice. God bless and keep you.
@4; I believe it was 15 or maybe 16 Army Divisions in the Pacific. I had the honor of carrying the 25th ID flag for the VJ parade in Honolulu in 1995 and I don’t remember 26 other flags being carried.
Thank you for your service sir.
@4 The Marines got a lot of press because it was the same units over and over making the assault landings. The 1st 2nd and 3rd Marine Divisions each fought in 3-5 main campaigns. I have yet to read of an Army unit making an amphibious assault in the Pacific that had the same type of resistance that Marines at Tarawa, Pelelui or Iwo Jima faced. The Army had more units and suffered more casualties, its just they were spread out over different units and time frames. It also didn’t help that with the focus on Europe the army didn’t spend much effort to ensure coverage like the Marines did.
My grandfather was in the first cavalry and fought in every major battle of the South Pacific from Australia to Japan, including Luzon and Iwo.
Wounded twice both would have sent him home,but he continued his service for country.
Reason you don’t hear much about the army in the South Pacific is because the flying part of the navy, army and marines got most of the press.
Oh and “David” the air force then was called the “army air corps”!
In case anyone was wondering: both veterans in the original Houston Chronicle article appear to check out. Per the NARA World War 2 Army Serial Number database, there was indeed a “Richard A. Overton” born in 1906, resident of Travis Co, TX, who enlisted at Fort Sam Houston, TX. And per the DPMO list of Vietnam POWs, there is indeed a Kenneth Wallingford who was returned alive as a Vietnam POW in February 1973.
Call me cynical SOB, but yeah – given the number of fakes we’ve seen making claims like this, I did a quick check. These 2 are apparently legit.
Well done, my elder brothers-in-arms; many thanks. Best Veterans Day wishes to you both – and to all my other brothers- and sisters-in-arms as well.
@9 Twist
US Army Division in the Pacific Theater:
6th Infantry division
7th Infantry division
Americal Infantry division
24th Infantry division
25th Infantry division
27th Infantry division
31st Infantry division
32nd Infantry division
33rd Infantry division
37th Infantry division
38th Infantry division
40th Infantry division
41st Infantry division
43rd Infantry division
77th Infantry division
81st Infantry division
93rd Infantry division
96th Infantry division
98th Infantry division
Philippines Infantry division
11th Airborne division
1st Cavalry division
22 not 26. My bad.
Years ago during my undergrad days, we had a guest speaker for a history (military) class who was a young soldier during the pacific theatre island hopping.
Fascinating but very sad.
This man was up in his years but his mind was clear. He told stories of cannibalism by the Japanese due to starvation to combat. He was a young LT and his friend, another LT, so he believes, was left behind and possibly eaten.
As I said, fascinating but sad.
O-4E, it seems as we were both wrong. 🙂
US Army, you so jealous.
Yeah? Well, how about that Air Force?
@16 – how ’bout ’em? Didn’t exist then…. and as the old joke goes, “since we’ve had a (Air Force, NSA, CIA) we haven’t won a major war.”