When you've lived for 112 years, there's not a lot someone can give you for your birthday that you haven't already received. That's why Richard Overton, America's oldest World War II veteran, is thinking big.
"I want a million dollars if you're going to give it to me," he said Thursday from the front porch of his East Austin home.
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Overton was born in Bastrop County in 1906 and enlisted in the Army in 1940. He served in the South Pacific from 1940-1945. He left the Army in 1945 and eventually settled in Austin, working for a furniture company and later the Texas Department of the Treasury.
Looking forward to his 112th year, he said he has one goal: “I’m looking to live is about the main thing.”
Overton still smokes his favorite cigars, Tampa Sweets, every day while sitting on his porch.
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A birthday party will be thrown for him at his home on Hamilton Avenue today from 4 to 7 p.m. The celebration is open to the public.
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