Richard Overton, the nation’s oldest World War II veteran, turns 110 Wednesday.
He plans to mark the occasion with a neighborhood party near his home in Austin, Texas -- where he will likely celebrate his birth surrounded by loved ones and smoke from his favorite cigars.
Overton, who joined the U.S. Army in September 1942 and fought the Japanese in the South Pacific, left the Army as a sergeant in October 1945, a month after the war with Japan ended.
Overton has photos with presidents and governors lining the walls of his dining room, the American-Statesman reported in a profile on Overton last year. A table in his house was said to be littered with correspondence and photos from people all over who want to share their experiences, get an autograph or learn the secret to his longevity.
"God give it to me," he said. "They tried to kill me in the Army, but God wouldn’t let 'em. I stayed for nearly five years and I didn’t get a scratch on me."
He offered one bit of advice about his longevity:
"Sometimes I’ll get up and put a little whiskey in my coffee," he said. "And at night when I go to bed, I put two tablespoons in my 7 Up. It makes you sleep soundly."
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