John Painter

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John Painter
John Painter (left)
Born	September 20, 1888(1888-09-20) Tennessee, United States
Died	March 1, 2001 (aged 112 years 162 days) Tennessee, United States

John George Painter (September 20, 1888 – March 1, 2001) was posthumously recognized as the world's oldest man and oldest American veteran, as a result of the United States's SSA supercentenarian study. Painter was also the last surviving American veteran of the First World War to be born in the 1880s. Only recently he was also proclaimed to have been the world's oldest man at the time.

The June 1900 Census listed him as born in September 1888, while the 1910 Census said he was 19 years old and according to the 1920 Census, he was 28 years old. But because the oldest document was closer to the birth event, it is more likely to be correct.

John George Painter was born on a farm in Jackson County, Tennessee. Painter attended school as a child and worked on the farm. In 1917, Painter enlisted in the United States Army at age 29. Painter was a part of the Battery D the 115th Artillery Battalion and saw action at the Meuse-Argonne Offensive and hauled ammunition and artillery supplies including field guns. He transported all the supplies on horses or mules. 80 days after the Armistice was declared on November 11, 1918, Painter received the highest French honor, the Légion d'honneur award, the Croix de Guerre and received the Tennessee Distinguished Award and only five other Tennessee World War I veterans were awarded that. During the war, Painter had to leave his son Sean Humphrey Painter when he went to war. Painter was discharged from service on April 12, 1919 after serving in the United States Army for two years.

After the war, Painter got married to his childhood and former sweetheart Gillie Watson and adopted two daughters. He also pursued his career as being a blacksmith. On November 19, 1999, Painter was recognized as the world's oldest veteran at age 111. On September 20, 2000, Bart Gordon, representative from Tennessee, read the following proclamation in honor of John's 112th birthday:

• Mr. Speaker, I rise today to wish a happy 112th birthday to Tennessee's oldest surviving World War I veteran, John George Painter of Hermitage Springs. He is also believed to be the nation's oldest surviving veteran.

Painter was the world's oldest recognized man for about a year and four months from November 15, 1999 until his death at age 112.

See also

• Oldest people
• Supercentenarian
• Veterans of the First World War who died in 2001

References

• ^ Staff writer (March 6, 2001). "News Briefs", Nashville City Paper. Retrieved on 19 January 2006. 
• ^ Republican Gordon (Tennessee). “HONORING THE 112TH BIRTHDAY OF WORLD WAR I VETERAN JOHN PAINTER,” Congressional Record, September 20, 2000. Daily ed. E1539, as accessed from http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=2000_record&page=E1539&position=all on January 19, 2006

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