. >> reporter: richard overton was born in bastrop county.35 years old -- >> yesterday, december 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy. >> reporter: the japanese attacked pearl harbor, throwing the united states into world war ii. overton enlisted nine months later. he joined an all-black military unit in 1942. becoming a skilled sharp shooter. overton rose to the rank of corporal, serving in places like pearl harbor, okinawa, and ee woe j iwojima where he came under fire. >>> after the war ended, overton retired and built his east austin home when the city had just 100,000 people. >> big buildings, these highways, these trees. i seen all of this austin go up. >> reporter: 70 years after fighting in world war ii, president barack obama invited overton to spend veteran's day 2013 in washington. >> today richard still lives in the house that he built all those years ago, rakes his own lawn, and every sunday he hops in his 1971 ford truck and drives one of the nice ladies in his neighborhood to church. >> reporter: and the attention didn't s