Ronald Cortes/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — Happy Birthday, Richard Overton!
The Austin, Texas, resident — the oldest living World War II veteran in the U.S. — reached another milestone on Thursday: He turned 111 years old.
Overton served in the Pacific Theater with the Army’s all-black 1887th Engineer Aviation Battalion from 1942 to 1945.
A birthday lunch was held for Overton — attended by Austin mayor Steve Adler — at the University of Texas Club in Austin, ABC affiliate KVUE reported.
Signs and photos to honor Mr. Overton’s 111th birthday! @KVUE pic.twitter.com/Vr7TDoIfTW
— Christy Millweard (@ChristyM_KVUE) May 11, 2017
“Celebrating Richard Overton’s 111th birthday is a chance to celebrate what is best about our country and our community,” Adler tweeted. “Happy birthday!”
Celebrating Richard Overton’s 111th birthday is a chance to celebrate what is best about our country and our community. Happy birthday! ???????? pic.twitter.com/TlfmGqhDBG
— Mayor Adler (@MayorAdler) May 11, 2017
At the birthday lunch, catfish was served, and a birthday cake which read “Happy 111th Birthday Pop!” was presented. Overton also received many gifts, including an autographed University of Texas football.
Adler declared May 11 as Richard Overton Day, and announced that he was temporarily renaming Hamilton Avenue, the street Overton lives on, to Richard Overton Avenue.
That’s why today I am declaring today, May 11, 2017, as Richard Overton Day in Austin, Texas.
— Mayor Adler (@MayorAdler) May 11, 2017
As ABC News reported in January, there was a possibility that Overton would be forced to leave his home for an assisted living facility. That prompted Volma Overton Jr., the veteran’s third cousin, to start a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for around-the-clock in-home care. Enough money was raised to keep Overton in his home.
“We all knew that if you move Richard out of his home, he’d die,” Overton Jr said at the time. “That home is everything for him.”
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