Oldest World War II vet and Texas native, Richard Overton, hospitalized

A look back: Texas and WWII

Richard Overton, the oldest WWII vet, was hospitalized on Thursday after being diagnosed with pneumonia.

See how the state of Texas sprung into action during WWII in the following photos... less A look back: Texas and WWII

Richard Overton, the oldest WWII vet, was hospitalized on Thursday after being diagnosed with pneumonia.

See how the state of Texas sprung into action during WWII in the following ... more Photo: Photos By Ricardo Brazziell / Austin American-Statesman Photo: Photos By Ricardo Brazziell / Austin American-Statesman Image 1 of / 54 Caption Close Oldest World War II vet and Texas native, Richard Overton, hospitalized 1 / 54 Back to Gallery

Richard Overton, the United State's oldest living World War II veteran, was hospitalized on Thursday after being diagnosed with pneumonia in both of his lungs.

Relatives of the 111-year-old veteran said he was suffering from chest pain and had difficultly breathing, according to the Austin American-Statesman.

Volma Overton Jr., Overton's cousin, told the paper their family "just went through this" and said the veteran had recently finished taking pneumonia medication.

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The Texas "supercentenarian" was previously hospitalized for pneumonia in May 2017, a week after celebrating his 111th birthday.

Overton was born in 1906 in Bastrop County, Texas. He joined the U.S. Army in 1940 and served as a military technician in the Pacific theater, including Hawaii, Guam, Palau and Iwo Jima.

After ending his military service in 1945, Overton purchased a home in Austin, where he has lived since.

Check out the slideshow above to see how Texas sprung into action for WWII...