mardi 6 mai 2014

The War Hero Richard Overton And Origin

By Eloise Hewitt


Richard was born in 1906 and is the oldest surviving world war 11 veteran and centenarian.After departure from service in the military, Richard Overton established a home in Texas where he has lived since then.

The centenarian served in the army during the Second World War 11 and vividly remembers the horrors of the war and having seen many of his comrades die in the same war.He sensationally describes the war as horrible and recalls with profound joy their excitement upon coming back home from the battlefield . It however does not skip his mind the amount of sacrifice and commitment it took them to go back. The centenarian says it took both a mental and physical preparedness to go back. He however has no regrets for joining the army.

In past few days, Overton has been a busy man, appearing in different places across the country. Meeting high profile persons has been part of his experience. He had an unique privilege to meet president Obama in the white house during the veterans day. The president lauded him for his role in the war. For him this was a dream come true since he had longed for this opportunity. Also among his encounters is with the governor of Texas.

However, it still remains controversial whether the centenarian was present during the attack on the Pearl Harbor. A statement by Obama suggests he saw all the action at the Pearl Harbor. However records of this remain scanty.

The veteran came to public limelight when he announced in an interview that he would prefer to spend his memorial smoking and drinking whisky that has been stiffened with coffee. He still appreciates that people would love to do something for him on this day but is categorical that how he would love to spend it. After leaving his job at the military, Richard worked in a furniture shop before joining the state department of treasury.

While receiving recognition for his great service by Austin mayor, Richard advises that people should not spend all their time sited and watching TV, they should get creative and engage in a activity so as to get moving. The mayor described him as an extraordinary gentleman. After celebrating his birthday, The centenarian was flown to visit world war 11 and Martin Luther King Jr Memorial in Washington DC, by Honor Flight . This is an organization that transports for free, veterans to memorials as a unique way of trying to honour and express thanks to these great men and women.

Mr. Overton, despite his age, is able to do what he wants to do; he stands, walks around without a cane, drives a car and generally looks healthy. This is according to him is attributable to active physical life, a baby aspirin and whiskey.

This memorial is however not going to be business as usual for this centenarian . All the friends his friends especially those from his platoon have passed on. The veteran admits that this for a number of times been a source of loneliness since he lacks a person he can talk to like he was used to with them. Richard has had two wives the last one having passed on twenty two years ago and has no children.




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