A man thought to be the nation's oldest veteran died Thursday.
John Painter died of a heart attack at his home in Hermitage Springs, in
north-central Tennessee. He was 112 years old. Painter was believed to have been
the nation's oldest veteran, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs.
Painter was born 20 September 1888 in Jackson County, where he grew
up working as a blacksmith and farmer. In 1917, he joined the Army with his
brother and went to France, where his enlistment included leading horse-driven
ammunition wagons to the front lines of combat. Painter was given France's Order
of the Legion of Honor—that country's highest honor—for his World War I
service.
The governor of Tennessee last year declared Painter's 112th birthday as
"John Painter Day" in the state. The veteran received more than 500 birthday
cards that year from VA employees across the nation who heard about the
milestone over the Internet.
A representative of the Bush administration was expected to
attend Painter’s funeral along with members of Tennessee's congressional
delegation and General Assembly. Gov. Don Sundquist also may attend.
My thanks to Loren A. Thurman for letting me know about Mr.
Painter’s passing.
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