America's Oldest Veteran Passes Away, One Month After Meeting Obama

(function(){var src_url="https://spshared.5min.com/Scripts/PlayerSeed.js'playList=518952217&height=381&width=570&sid=577&origin=SOLR&videoGroupID=161448&relatedNumOfResults=100&responsive=false&relatedMode=2&relatedBottomHeight=60&companionPos=&hasCompanion=false&autoStart=false&colorPallet=%23FFEB00&videoControlDisplayColor=%23191919&shuffle=0&isAP=1&pgType=cmsPlugin&pgTypeId=addToPost-top&onVideoDataLoaded=track5min.DL&onTimeUpdate=track5min.TC&onVideoDataLoaded=HPTrack.Vid.DL&onTimeUpdate=HPTrack.Vid.TC";if (typeof(commercial_video) == "object") {src_url += "&siteSection="+commercial_video.site_and_category;if (commercial_video.package) {src_url += "&sponsorship="+commercial_video.package;}}var script = document.createElement("script");script.src = src_url;script.async = true;var placeholder = document.querySelector(".js-fivemin-script");placeholder.parentElement.replaceChild(script, placeholder);})(); WASHINGTON -- Emma Didlake, the nation's oldest known veteran, passed away Sunday, one month after visiting the White Houseand meeting with President Barack Obama. Didlake's granddaughter told the San Antonio Express-News that the 110-year-old had felt tired over the past few days and showed signs of failing health. "It was a month ago today that we went to the White House," said Marilyn Horne. "I think she felt she had accomplished everything and could take her rest." At the age of 38, as a mother with five children, Didlake joined the Women's Army Auxiliary Corpsand earned multiple medals for her service. After leaving the military, she became active in the civil rights movement: She joined the Detroit chapter of the NAACP, and marched with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963. "We are so grateful that she is here with us today," Obama told reporters after his July 17 meeting with Didlake. "And it's a great reminder of not only the sacrifices that the greatest generation made on our behalf, but also the kind of trailblazing that our women veterans made, African-American veterans who helped to integrate our armed services," Obama said. "We are very, very proud of them. That's why we got to make sure we do right by them." Some photos from the meeting: -- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
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