Richard Arvine Overton

This article is about the oldest living veteran of World War II. For other people named Richard Overton, see Richard Overton (disambiguation).

Richard Arvine Overton
Overton in 2013
Born	(1906-05-11)May 11, 1906 (age ) Bastrop County, Texas, U.S.
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	[[File:|25pxpx]] United States Army
Years of service	1940–45
Rank	Corporal (technician fifth grade)
Unit	1887th Engineer Aviation Battalion (Colored)
Battles/wars	World War II South Pacific Theater
Awards	Meritorious Unit Commendation U.S. Army Good Conduct Medal American Campaign Medal 23px Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal Expert Rifle Marksmanship Badge
Relations	Wilma Overton (wife, died 1988)

Richard Arvine Overton (born May 11, 1906) is an American supercentenarian who at age , is the oldest verified surviving United States war veteran. He is a veteran of World War II, and has been honored by U.S. President Barack Obama and currently lives in Austin, Texas.

Early life and education

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.

Career

Overton enlisted in 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 corporal, technician fifth grade.

Later life

U.S. President Barack Obama shakes hands with Overton at the White House on Veterans Day 2013

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. 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."

On that same Memorial Day, Overton met with Texas Governor Rick Perry. Overton was also invited to the White House where he met with U.S. 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.

Documentary

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, he became the oldest surviving American veteran after the death of Frank Levingston, a man of African American heritage from Bossier Parish, Lake Charles.

Personal life

When he was 82 years old, 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. On May 11, 2016, Overton became a supercentenarian, when he reached the age of 110.