AUSTIN, Texas — State Rep. Sheryl Cole, D-Austin, has filed a bill seeking to rename part of a highway in honor of Richard Overton, the former world’s oldest WWII veteran.

  • Filed by State Rep. Sheryl Cole
  • Would rename part of State Loop 111

If the bill passes, it would rename the portion of State Loop 111 in Travis County between its northern intersection with Levander Loop and its intersection with Parkwood Road. The section would be designated as the Richard Overton Memorial Highway.

PREVIOUS STORY: Former Oldest WWII Veteran, Richard Overton, Laid to Rest

In 1942, during World War II, Overton enlisted in the Army at Fort Sam Houston. He spent three years fighting in the South Pacific, with stops in Guam and Iwo Jima.

After the war, Overton settled in Austin. He died December 27, 2018, after battling pneumonia.