Thrust Into War
He began his career in the military on September 3, 1940, at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. And in December 1941, he was sent to Hawaii immediately after the unanticipated attack by Japanese forces on Pearl Harbor. And just like that, Overton was thrust into World War II. Along with the rest of America.
From 1942 to 1945, Overton served in the Pacific Theater with the Army’s segregated 1887th Engineer Aviation Battalion. He held different jobs while in the military, including burial detail, base security and driver for an officer.