Background
Didlake was born in Boligee, Alabama in 1904.
Didlake was born in Boligee, Alabama in 1904.
She served in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps. She told the San Antonio Express-News that she joined the Army because she "wanted to do different things." She served stateside as a private and a driver. After leaving the service, Didlake and her family moved to Detroit, Michigan, where she lived until her death.
Soon after moving to Detroit, Didlake joined the local National Association for the Advancement of Colored People chapter.
In 1963, she marched alongside Review Martin Luther King Junior. in Washington District of Columbia On July 17, 2015, at 111 years old, Didlake visited Washington, District of Columbia on an honorary trip that included meeting President Barack Obama and touring historic monuments.
The trip was organized and funded by Talons Out Honor Flight, a division of the Honor Flight Network. At their meeting in the Oval Office, Didlake sat in her wheelchair in the same spot where foreign leaders sit when they meet the president in the White House.
President Obama praised Didlake for her "trailblazing" service as one of the female and African American veterans who helped to integrate the United States. 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. About a month after visiting the White House, Didlake fell illinois
She died on August 16, 2015 at 111 years old.
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 World War II) is Frank Levingston.