Emma Didlake (March 13, 1904 – August 16, 2015) was an African-American

supercentenarian A supercentenarian (sometimes hyphenated as super-centenarian) is a person who has reached the age of 110 years. This age is achieved by about one in 1,000 centenarians. Supercentenarians typically live a life free of major age-related diseases u ...

and the oldest living American

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

veteran until her death on August 16, 2015 at age 111. She served in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps.

Early life and education

Didlake was born in

Boligee, Alabama Boligee is a town in Greene County, Alabama, Greene County, Alabama, United States. Per the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 301. Although Boligee appeared on the 1880 U.S. Census, according to the 1930 U.S. Census it did ...

in 1904. At a young age, Didlake and her family moved to Kentucky, where she married a coal miner in 1922 and later stayed to raise her own family.

Career

In 1943, when she was 38 years old and the mother of five children, Didlake enlisted in the WAAC. She told the ''

San Antonio Express-News The ''San Antonio Express-News'' is a daily newspaper in San Antonio, Texas. It is owned by the Hearst Corporation and has offices in San Antonio and Austin, Texas. The ''Express-News'' is the third largest newspaper in the state of Texas, with ...

'' that she joined the Army because she "wanted to do different things." She served stateside as a private and a driver. For her service in World War II, Didlake earned the

Women's Army Corps Service Medal The Women’s Army Corps Service Medal was a military award of the United States Army which was created on July 29, 1943 by issued by President Franklin Roosevelt. The medal was intended to recognize the service of women to the Army during the Se ...

American Campaign Medal The American Campaign Medal is a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was first created on November 6, 1942, by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was intended to recognize those military members who had perfo ...

, and

World War II Victory Medal The World War II Victory Medal is a service medal of the United States military which was established by an Act of Congress on 6 July 1945 (Public Law 135, 79th Congress) and promulgated by Section V, War Department Bulletin 12, 1945. The Wor ...

After service

After leaving the service, Didlake and her family moved to

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

, Michigan, where she lived until her death. Soon after moving to Detroit, Didlake joined the local

NAACP The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E.&nb ...

chapter. In 1963, she marched alongside

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...

at the

March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, also known as simply the March on Washington or The Great March on Washington, was held in Washington, D.C., on August 28, 1963. The purpose of the march was to advocate for the civil and economic righ ...

. In 2013, Didlake was awarded the

James Weldon Johnson James Weldon Johnson (June 17, 1871June 26, 1938) was an American writer and civil rights activist. He was married to civil rights activist Grace Nail Johnson. Johnson was a leader of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peop ...

lifetime achievement award at Detroit NAACP's 58th annual Freedom Fund Dinner. On July 17, 2015, at 111 years old, Didlake visited Washington, D.C. on an honorary trip that included meeting President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

and touring several historic monuments, including the

Women in Military Service for America Memorial The Women In Military Service For America Memorial, also known as Military Women's Memorial, is a memorial established by the U.S. federal government which honors women who have served in the United States Armed Forces. The memorial is located at ...

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

, where she received mementos from retired Brigadier General

Wilma Vaught Brigadier General Wilma L. Vaught, USAFR (Ret.) (born March 15, 1930) is an American retired military leader. She was the first woman to deploy with an Air Force bomber unit, and the first woman to reach the rank of brigadier general from the com ...

. The trip was organized and funded by Talons Out Honor Flight, a division of the

Honor Flight An Honor Flight is conducted by non-profit organizations dedicated to transporting as many United States military veterans as possible to see the memorials of the respective war(s) they fought in Washington, DC, at no cost to the veterans. These ...

Network. At their meeting in the

Oval Office The Oval Office is the formal working space of the President of the United States. Part of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, it is located in the West Wing of the White House, in Washington, D.C. The oval-shaped room ...

, Didlake sat in her wheelchair in the same spot where foreign leaders sit when they meet the president in the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

. President Obama praised Didlake for her "trailblazing" service as one of the female and African American veterans who helped to integrate the U.S. Army. Didlake attributed her longevity to a diet with a great deal of fruits and vegetables. Each day, she would also eat golden raisins that she had soaked in vodka overnight.

Death and legacy

About a month after visiting the White House, Didlake fell ill. She died on August 16, 2015 at 111 years old. She is survived by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. On August 19, President Obama issued the following statement to honor Didlake's death:

Emma Didlake served her country with distinction and honor, a true trailblazer for generations of Americans who have sacrificed so much for their country. I was humbled and grateful to welcome Emma to the White House last month, and Michelle and I send our deepest condolences to Emma's family, friends, and everyone she inspired over her long and quintessentially American life.

With Didlake's death, the oldest known veteran (World War II) became

Frank Levingston Frank Levingston (November 13, 1905 – May 3, 2016) was an American supercentenarian, who was the 2nd oldest military veteran in the United States. He was the oldest living man in the United States and the oldest verified surviving America ...

Awards and decorations

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Didlake, Emma 1904 births 2015 deaths Activists from Detroit People from Boligee, Alabama Women's Army Corps soldiers African-American centenarians American supercentenarians Military personnel from Alabama Military personnel from Kentucky American civil rights activists NAACP activists Women supercentenarians 20th-century American people 20th-century African-American women 20th-century African-American people 21st-century American women