(RNN) - The oldest man in the U.S., a veteran of World War II, is celebrating his 112th birthday on Friday.
Through donations from GoFundMe, Richard Overton is able to remain in the home he built 70 years ago and afford the around-the-clock care he needs, the Dallas News reported.
According to the Texas Historical Commission, Overton is the oldest man in America, and has outlived all his close relatives.
Richard Overton served in the South Pacific during World War II from 1942 to 1945 as part of the all-black 1887th Engineer Aviation Battalion, the Austin Statesman said.
America's armed forces were segregated until 1948, when President Harry S. Truman signed an executive order outlawing segregation in the armed forces.
He is celebrating with a birthday bash at his home in east Austin on a street that now bears his name, the Austin Statesman reported.
Overton currently enjoying cigars and whiskey at his home.
Just last year, his house was upgraded with central air conditioning, the Dallas News reported. Before that, the home's temperature was largely at the mercy of the elements.
Happy 112th birthday to America’s oldest living man and WWII veteran, Richard Overton. Born in Bastrop County in 1906, Overton served in the South Pacific. He resides in his home in East Austin, where he enjoys cigars and drinking whiskey on his front porch. Photo c/o @statesman. pic.twitter.com/gldtLZQczW
— Texas Historical Commission (@TxHistComm) May 11, 2018
Overton has met presidents and celebrities, including President Obama and Steve Harvey.
Last month, through a gift from billionaire entrepreneur and philanthropist Robert Smith, he got to tour the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC, and met former Secretary of State Colin Powell, the Dallas News said.
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