America's oldest known veteran, Emma Didlake, dies at 110

Emma Didlake.
(Image credit: Pool/Getty Images)

Emma Didlake, a Michigan woman believed to be the oldest living veteran in the United States, died Sunday. She was 110.

Born in Alabama, Didlake signed up for the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps in 1943. A married mother of five, she spent seven months serving in the U.S. during World War II, as a private and driver. Known to her family as "Big Mama," Didlake met with President Obama in the Oval Office in July, sitting in the same spot as foreign leaders who visit the president. "Emma Didlake served her country with distinction and honor, a true trailblazer for generations of Americans who have sacrificed so much for their country," Obama said Monday in a statement.

Didlake's visit to the White House was arranged by the nonprofit organization Talons Out Honor Flight, which covers the cost of trips for veterans to monuments and memorials in Washington, D.C. Her granddaughter, Marilyn Horne, told The Associated Press that after being given a short-sleeved shirt with the Talons Out Honor Flight emblem on it, Didlake said, "I don't have Michelle Obama arms — I'm going to need a jacket."

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Catherine Garcia

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.