Thank you for your service Richard Overton, but please slow down on those 10 cigars a day!
He might still feel a little stiff sometimes and he stopped drinking a shot of Whiskey in his morning coffee, but overall, Richard Overton says he feels pretty good. Richard Overton turned 109 on Monday and still smokes a dozen cigars a day! Army Strong!
Happy Birthday Sir! I hope you see many more!
The WW II veteran’s friends and family threw a birthday party for him with over 100 people attending. His neighbor Helen Elliot organized and threw the party, which was sponsored by Mighty Fine Burgers, Fries and Shakes. The theme for the day was “Mighty Fine at 109.”
“He’s just the coolest neighbor on the planet,” Elliot told Fox affiliate KTBC. “He’s so much fun and always has the best stories.”
Overton served his country from 1942-45, with stops in Hawaii, Guam, Palau and Iwo Jima. He attained the rank of Sergeant during his time in the service! Unfortunately he saw many of his Army buddies die serving their country, and the rest have passed away since the war ended. He said he misses the soldiers who served with him in the all-black 1887th Engineer Aviation Battalion, and would love to reminisce with them.
“I’m the only one that can tell the tale now, All the other boys are gone.”
Mr. Overton was born on May, 11, 1906, in Texas’ Bastrop County. Overton grew up working in the furniture business and then with the Texas Treasury Department in Austin after he got out of the Army. He married twice but never had any children and still attends church every Sunday!
“I got good health and I don’t take any medicine, I also stay busy around the yards, I trim trees, help with the horses. The driveways get dirty, so I clean them. I do something to keep myself moving. I don’t watch television. Don’t drink that whiskey any more.”
Mr Overton met President Obama in 2013, at an event at Arlington National Cemetery, where the president singled out Overton during his remarks.
“When the war ended, Richard headed home to Texas to a nation bitterly divided by race, And his service on the battlefield was not always matched by the respect that he deserved at home. But this veteran held his head high. He carried on and lived his life with honor and dignity.” – Barack Obama
