At
the age of 107 America's oldest known veteran plans to enjoy this year's
Memorial Day in what he describes as the familiar company of up to 12 cigars and
some whiskey-stiffened coffee - simple luxuries for a man who's lived through a
lot.
'I
don’t know, some people might do something for me, but I’ll be glad just to sit
down and rest,' World War II veteran Richard Arvine Overton told Fox News from the East Austin, Texas home he built after
returning from active duty.
Understandably
Mr Overton is already more than entitled to some extra rest and relaxation after
his service in the South Pacific from 1942 through 1945.
But
it's also been an especially busy past month while making appearances across the
country.
Oldest living veteran: Richard Overton is seen celebrating his
107th birthday earlier this month outside his home he built in Austin, Texas
after returning from active duty in World War II
Mr Overton, strikingly pictured during his service, plans to
spend a quiet Memorial Day at home, perhaps in the company of up to 12 cigars
and some whiskey he attributes to keeping his muscles tender
'You
got to keep moving. You don't sit down and watch TV all the time. You have to
keep moving,' Mr Overton told KVUE after being recognized for his service by Austin Mayor Lee
Leffingwell on May 9.
Two
days later he was busy celebrating his birthday and eight days later was being
flown to Washington, D.C. for his first time to visit the WWII Memorial thanks
to nonprofit Honor Flight, an
organization that transports veterans to memorials free of cost.
The
organization strives to honor the veterans, particularly from WWII with over 800
of them said by the non-profit to be dying every day.
'...our
time to express our thanks to these brave men and women is running out,' the
organization explains.
'I
was very, very happy,' Mr Overton told Fox of his trip that included a visit to
the Martin Luther King Jr Memorial.
'At
my age and my strength, I’m able to stand up and do anything. My mind is good,
so I’m able to do what I want,' he said.
Mr
Overton attributes active yard work and a single baby aspirin taken every day to
his long life.
It's
the physical work he particularly emphasizes. But the whiskey’s good too, as he
explains.
'Whiskey’s
a good medicine. It keeps your muscles tender,' he said of his common
regiment.
Sadly,
he says a major part of this Memorial Day will be missing from his day, as he
reflects on everyone he served with, but has now outlived.
‘I
know I had someone from my platoon until recently, but he passed so now I don’t
have anyone that I know,’ he said. ‘So I feel lonesome by myself sometimes. I
would love to ask some of them some questions, but nobody is here. Everybody’s
passed.’
Attribution: Nina Golgowski, Mail Online
No comments:
Post a Comment