Obama Pays Tribute To 107-Year-Old Veteran

IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR PHILIPS LIFELINE- 107-year-old Richard Overton, the oldest recorded living US veteran, surveys the backyard of his home in Austin, Texas after being presented with the Philips Lifeline with Auto... IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR PHILIPS LIFELINE- 107-year-old Richard Overton, the oldest recorded living US veteran, surveys the backyard of his home in Austin, Texas after being presented with the Philips Lifeline with AutoAlert service on Wednesday, June 5, 2013. The medical alert service, which will help protect Overton as he continues to remain independent in his home, was provided free of charge for the rest of his life in appreciation for his courageous service to our country. Overton served for the Army in the Pacific during World War II. (Jack Plunkett / AP Images for Philips Lifeline) MORE LESS
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ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — President Barack Obama on Monday paid tribute to those who have served in the nation’s military, including one of the nation’s oldest veterans, 107-year-old Richard Overton.

“This is the life of one American veteran, living proud and strong in the land he helped keep free,” Obama said during a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.

Overton was among those in the audience for the outdoor ceremony on a crisp, sun-splashed Veteran’s Day. Earlier Monday, Overton and other veterans attended a breakfast at the White House.

Obama used his remarks Monday to remind the nation that thousands of service members are still at war in Afghanistan. The war is expected to formally conclude at the end of next year, though the U.S. may keep a small footprint in the country.

As the Afghan war comes to a close, Obama said the nation has a responsibility to ensure that the returning troops are the “best cared-for and best respected veterans in the world.” The country’s obligations to those who served “endure long after the battle ends,” he said.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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