111-Year-Old Veteran, America's Oldest, Credits 'God and Cigars' for His Long Life
God and cigars don't seem to have anything in common. Nevertheless, 111-year-old Richard Overton, the oldest living veteran in the United States, says he believes these are the two things in his life responsible for his longevity.
It's fairly common for Christians to give credit to God for sustaining and giving meaning to their lives.
But the same thing can't be said about tobacco. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says, "smoking harms nearly every organ of the body, causes many diseases, and reduces the health of smokers in general."
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But Overton appeared oblivious to that idea, saying he enjoys 12 cigars a day and even drinks whiskey and Coke.
Speaking to Dallas News recently in his home in Austin, where he has become quite a celebrity for his extraordinary good health and long life, Overton said he is grateful to God and the people in his life, especially those who are taking good care of him, who presumably include his 24-hour caregivers.
Overton has been married twice but never had kids. All his closest relatives have passed away except for a first cousin who lives down the street, and third cousins who stop by daily, acording to Dallas News.
The supercentenarian was born in 1906 and served in the Army during World War II.
He was a guest at the White House during Veteran's Day in November 2013 when former President Barack Obama honored him for his long years of service in the military.
Two years later, National Geographic produced a short documentary about his life.
He was recently hospitalized due to pneumonia but quickly recovered.
Overton told the Dallas News that he still feels fit and healthy. "I'm feeling pretty good," he said. "I just sit out here [on the porch] and rest."
His typical day starts at 3 a.m. by drinking two to four cups of coffee. He then walks around the house he built himself 70 years ago to "increase blood flow to his limbs."
When he celebrated his 111th birthday on May 11 this year, more than 200 people came to greet him at his home. Many of them gave him gifts of fancy cigars and bottles of whiskey.
Last year, when the rising cost of at-home care saddled Overton, the community rallied together and raised nearly $200,000 via a GoFundMe page to help defray the costs.
