Richard Overton, the eldest person in the United States and oldest living WWII veteran, passed away yesterday of pneumonia at the age of 112.
Overton served with the all black 188th Aviation Engineer Battalion in the Pacific and was on for both the Battle of Iwo Jima and the Battle of Okinawa. There must been have many a tale he could tell, but like many veterans, Overton didn't like talking about his war experiences. It's understandable. He probably saw more than his share of death and destruction and served alongside many a man who would never return home alive. Aside from putting his faith in God, he must have wondered how he escaped such a fate. Upon his return home, despite his service to this country, there were undoubtedly many of his countrymen who viewed him as a second class citizen and perhaps something even lesser. It goes a long way in explaining his consumption of cigars and whiskey. Not an ideal diet perhaps, but he probably outlived most of his doctors like George Burns.
It is men like Richard Overton who made America great and kept it that way. This was recognized belatedly, but recognized nevertheless. R.I.P.
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