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Veteran honored for once-secret role in WWII ‘Ghost Army’

Veteran honored for once-secret role in WWII ‘Ghost Army’

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RALEIGH, N.C. — When World War II veteran George Dramis came home, he didn’t talk much about the war. If someone asked what he did there, he’d tell them the truth: He was a radio operator.

But there is much, much more to his story.

Dramis, 97, was one of the 1,100 soldiers in the U.S. Army’s 23rd Headquarters Special Troops. Referred to now as the Ghost Army, they formed in 1944 with a key job: deceive the German military as to the whereabouts of Army divisions. This was after the D-Day invasion at Normandy, as Allied forces fought to free Europe from the Nazis.

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“We would come in at night,” Dramis told The News & Observer, explaining how the Ghost Army operated.

“[An Army division] would sneak away, quietly. We would come in and fake their radio transmissions. We had huge half-tracks with tremendous speakers on them that you could hear for 15 miles. They were recorded things of actual troop movements — tanks, trucks, guys swearing, yelling ‘Get over here!’” he said.

A half-track was an armored personnel carrier. Those speakers that carried sound for 15 miles weighed 500 pounds, Dramis said, and it sounded like a real division coming in. The Ghost Army used inflatable tanks, trucks and other equipment that would appear to be camouflaged, and soldiers even wore fake division patches.

Those 1,100 troops used visual and audio deception to appear to be 15,000 troops. And as Dramis told people after the war when his work was still classified, he was indeed a radio operator. He kept the secret until 1996, when the Ghost Army’s efforts were declassified.

There are just nine veterans of the Ghost Army still living. With a bill co-sponsored by North Carolina’s U.S. Rep. Deborah Ross and signed into law by President Joe Biden in February, those men will receive a Congressional Gold Medal. Ross, a Democrat, and Republican Sen. Thom Tillis’ staffer Trey Lewis were among those who attended a recent ceremony at the Waltonwood Lake Boone assisted living community in Raleigh.

One of Dramis’ modern counterparts was at the ceremony, too.

Army Col. Chris Stangle is commander of the 4th Psychological Operations Group, 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne), at Fort Bragg. Stangle told Dramis that Special Operations was built off of what the Ghost Army started. Stangle told The N&O that the work Dramis did has been built upon with techniques used by what is known as PSYOP today.

Like at other ceremonies of recent years honoring World War II veterans, speakers often call them heroes, including Dramis.

“They keep talking about this hero part all the time. Well, I’m not so sure about that hero stuff,” Dramis told those gathered.

“The 18-, 19-year-old, 20-year-old guys that” — Dramis paused and took a deep breath — “maybe lasted one minute or two minutes or three minutes, and they never made it. They never got to grow up and have a life … those guys are the heroes.”

After the war, Dramis was a factory worker and eventually president of an industrial supply company before he retired in 1990, according to the Ghost Army Legacy Project. He and his late wife had four children, and Dramis’ two living sons attended the ceremony, along with two of Dramis’ grandsons.

Saturday, July 23, 2022, was also proclaimed George Dramis Day by Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin.

Dramis’ son Jim Dramis, of Raleigh, wrote in The Charlotte Observer last year about the Ghost Army Legacy Project’s years-long push to get the bill passed so his father and others would be recognized with a Congressional Gold Medal. While the medal is still being minted, ceremonies for George Dramis and other Ghost Army veterans are already being held.

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The Army won’t lower its standards again to meet recruitment goals

The Army won’t lower its standards again to meet recruitment goals

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The Army really needs more soldiers, but it’s having trouble bringing them in. 

The Army expects to be short of its goals by 10,000 recruits this fiscal year. It’s trying a lot of methods to boost last-minute recruitment. But the one strategy it won’t do is drop the standards to expand eligibility, according to General James C. McConville, the Army’s chief of staff. At least, not again.

“What I don’t want to do, and we’ve done this historically, is lower standards and convince ourselves that’s the right thing to do,” Military.com reported McConville telling reporters on Thursday, July 28. Doing so would “achieve squat,” McConville added.

He’s not wrong. The Pentagon has, in the 21st Century, changed its eligibility standards several times to help meet troop goals. During the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as the campaigns dragged on, it eased age restrictions to widen the applicant base. It also increased the cap on “Category IV” recruits who received low scores on aptitude tests. That was as negative feedback toward the wars hurt the military’s public image.

That’s not a strategy McConville and the Army are seeking to revisit. Even in June, the Army briefly toyed with dropping the need for recruits to have a high school diploma if they quickly went to boot camp, but reinstated the rule days later after criticism. 

So instead the Army is trying to find ways to make potential recruits eligible for service. Fitness in particular has been weighing on the Army this year. Even though the Pentagon doesn’t think highly of the physical durability and fitness of Generation Z (or as it calls it for some reason, the “Nintendo Generation”), the Army has been focused on making sure those who do join are capable. 

And the Army really wants to make sure recruits are up to the standards. Next month the Army launches its Future Soldier Preparatory Course, designed to help get potential recruits up to standards for aptitude and fitness tests. It’s at maximum 90 days, and if successful could be expanded to help get more recruits ready for boot camp and enlistment. As Task & Purpose reported this week, scores on aptitude tests have declined by as much as 9%.

To help overcome the recruiting woes, the Army is trying a lot of tactics to make it more appealing. The chief strategy has been money. Lots of money. The Army has been offering several different enlistment bonuses, with more money (up to $50,000) for the faster someone is willing to start training. Other changes have been easing regulations regarding tattoos. Right now it seems the Army wants to do as much as it can to open the ranks to new members without lowering what it wants.

The Army itself isn’t alone in the recruitment struggle. The other branches of the Pentagon are also trying to meet their enlistment goals, hampered by reports of poor morale and conditions. Efforts to bring in more troops have included even setting up information booths for the Navy and Air Force outside of screenings of Top Gun: Maverick. It’s not quite the media blitz the military did in the 1970s however.

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#VeteranOfTheDay Army Air Forces Veteran George B. McMillan

#VeteranOfTheDay Army Air Forces Veteran George B. McMillan
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Army Air Forces Veteran George B. McMillan is today's Veteran of the Day.

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Air Forces Veteran George B. McMillan, who was a fighter pilot during World War II and served with the 1st American Volunteer Group.

George B. McMillan was born in 1916 in Winter Garden, Florida. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Army Air Corps after graduating from The Citadel in 1938. McMillan went on to earn his pilot’s wings in 1939 after graduating the Air Corps Advanced Flying School at Kelly Field, Texas. He later served as a fighter pilot with the 20th Pursuit Group, 55th Pursuit Squadron, at Moffett Field, California. This was followed by a station at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, where he served with the 23rd Composite Group, 1st Pursuit Squadron.

While serving at Eglin Air Force Base, McMillan was given the opportunity to join the 1st American Volunteer Group (AVG), also known as the Flying Tigers. This was a group of air units formed to aid the Chinese Nationalist government during the Second Sino-Japanese War. After accepting this opportunity, McMillan resigned his commission in the Army to serve as a flight leader in the 3rd Pursuit Squadron in China. There, he flew a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk and scored four and a half aerial victories during his missions in China and Burma.

During an encounter on Christmas Day in 1941, McMillan faced intense enemy fire that damaged his plane and injured his shoulder and hand. Forced to crash-land, McMillan was miles away from the nearest village and only found help from local authorities after riding a horse for eight miles. He eventually made it to Mingaladon Airfield for medical aid.

Before returning to the U.S. in 1942, McMillan helped form the 23rd Fighter Group and then left China in July after the 1st AVG was disbanded. He recommissioned into the Army Air Forces as a major and visited his family before returning to China in 1943, where he briefly served in a Chinese-American Composite Wing and the 51st Fighter Group. McMillan also received command of the 449th Fighter Squadron during the fall of 1943. Flying a Lockheed P-38 Lightning, McMillan achieved four additional aerial victories during his missions with the 449th Fighter Squadron.

In April 1944, the Japanese launched the Ichigo Offensive to push into China. During this time, McMillan took part in several missions against the Japanese forces. During the early summer of 1944, McMillan took part in a strafing mission near the city of Pingxiang. As he approached his target, McMillan encountered enemy fire that landed several critical hits against his P-38, which forced him to attempt a crash landing. However, before he could do so, his engine burst into flames, killing him.

During his service, McMillan achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel. His awards include a Distinguished Flying Cross, a Bronze Star and two Air Medals with Oak Leaf Clusters. He also received several foreign honors. McMillan is buried in Arlington National Cemetery next to other members of the Flying Tigers.

We honor his service.

Nominate a Veteran for #VeteranOfTheDay

Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? VA’s #VeteranOfTheDay social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.

It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission.

Veterans History Project

This #VeteranOfTheDay profile was created with interviews submitted to the Veterans History Project. The project collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war Veterans so that future generations may hear directly from Veterans and better understand the realities of war. Find out more at http://www.loc.gov/vets/.

Writer: Raymond Lin

Editors: Theresa Lyon, Annabelle Colton

Researchers: Jake Halderson, Kennady Hertz

Graphic Design: Kiki Kelley


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#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran Frederick Weyand

#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran Frederick Weyand
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Army Veteran Frederick Weyand is today's Veteran of the Day.

Army Veteran Frederick Weyand is today’s Veteran of the Day.

Frederick Weyand was born in September 1916, in Arbuckle, California. While attending college at the University of California, Berkeley, he received a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps commission as a second lieutenant and then graduated a year later, in 1939, according to a U.S. Army article.

Weyand’s military service began in 1940, when he entered active duty. During World War II, he served in the field of intelligence. He was stationed in San Francisco, but was sent to Camp Richie in Maryland in 1942. According to a New York Times article, he “served under General Joseph Stilwell in the China-Burma-India Theater” in 1944. After World War II, he was stationed in Hawaii as chief of staff of intelligence in the middle Pacific region.

In 1950, Weyand was sent to Korea, commanding the 1st Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment. During his service, he helped fight off a Chinese attack on the port of Hungnam to help Americans and civilians escape by ship. After his service there, he taught at the Infantry School at Fort Benning and worked as an assistant to the Secretary of the Army. He then went to Europe, where he commanded a battle group in Berlin.

Weyand was leading the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii when he and the division were transferred to Cu Chi in northwest Saigon in 1965 and 1966. In 1967, he became commander of the II Field Force. A year later, in 1968, Weyand believed that the North Vietnamese were planning an attack on Saigon using guerrilla warfare tactics. This turned out to be true when the North Vietnamese launched the Tet Offensive. Weyand’s preparations to increase Saigon’s defenses helped the Americans immensely in defending the city, according to a HistoryNet article. Weyand eventually participated as an advisor during the Paris Peace talks in 1968 and later returned to Vietnam to oversee the withdrawal of troops.

Weyand retired from service in 1976 at the rank of general. He moved to Honolulu, where he remained involved with the community through the Red Cross and the Rotary Club. During his service, he received a Distinguished Service Cross, five Distinguished Service Medals, a Silver Star and two Legion of Merits among other honors. He died in Hawaii in February 2010.

We honor his service.

Nominate a Veteran for #VeteranOfTheDay

Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? VA’s #VeteranOfTheDay social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.

It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission.

Writer: Ryan Beane

Editors: Annabelle Colton, Nathaniel Scott

Researchers: Carl Wesseln, Timothy Georgetti

Graphic Designer: Kiki Kelley


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#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran Robert “Boots” Chouinard

#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran Robert “Boots” Chouinard

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Army Veteran Robert “Boots” Chouinard is today’s Veteran of the Day.

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Robert “Boots” Chouinard, who served during World War II.

Robert “Boots” Chouinard was born in 1923. He enlisted in the Army in 1943, and a year later he was sent to Europe. He touched down in Omaha Beach in France five days after D-Day, before proceeding to Germany.

Chouinard and his unit, the 128th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Gun Battalion, were sent to the Rhine River to secure the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen, a mission later chronicled in the movie “The Bridge at Remagen.” While thousands of American soldiers were crossing, they were tasked to shoot down German aircraft that were attempting to destroy the bridge. After successfully completing this task, they traveled south of the Rhine River, where they made another crossing in Oppenheim, Germany.

While he was near Oppenheim, Chouinard heard an announcement over a loudspeaker about a church service; he was one of a crew of seven that attended the Easter service. As they were walking into the packed church, armed and in uniform, they saw Germans, also in attendance, turn in discomfort, saddened and overwhelmed with emotion. Chouinard was moved by the realization of them worshiping together while fighting a war. After the service ended, they quietly left and continued their journey.

Toward the end of the war, Chouinard and his fellow soldiers were in a field south of Munich, Germany.  He noticed a farmhouse and decided to ask for some fresh eggs. Meeting an American woman who married a German, he spoke with her and then later left with the eggs. When Chouinard returned the next morning, he was met by a German soldier and officer who were waiting for him. He was informed by the German officer that he wished to speak to an American officer. The German officer wanted to surrender, and not long after, a large mass of soldiers left the woods with their hands up. By not firing when first seeing the German soldier, the lives of over a 100 Germans and Americans were saved.

Now, Chouinard lives in Salisbury, Massachusetts, and writes stories for the Newburyport News. He plans to return to Germany to retrace his steps.

Thank you for your service.

Nominate a Veteran for #VeteranOfTheDay

Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? VA’s #VeteranOfTheDay social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.

It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission.

Writers: Alexandria Robinson, Alexandra Kaiser

Editors: Annabelle Colton, Alexander Reza, Theresa Lyon

Researchers: Patrick E. Woods, Timothy Georgetti

Graphic artist: Kiki Kelley



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Army veteran who faked blindness for nearly $1M is going to prison

Army veteran who faked blindness for nearly $1M is going to prison

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A former soldier who defrauded Veterans Affairs out of nearly $1 million by pretending to have a service-connected disability was sentenced in court to less than a year in prison, according to the Department of Justice.

John Paul Cook, 58, from Marshall, North Carolina, received approximately $978,138 in disability payments from the VA between 1987–2017 due to his fake blindness, the DoJ said.

Despite his claims of being visually impaired, Cook repeatedly passed vision screening tests for his driver’s license, purchased and registered over 30 vehicles he routinely drove, and participated as a leader with the Boy Scouts of America in activities requiring eyesight, the DoJ added.

Federal district court judge Max O. Cogburn Jr. sentenced Cook to 10 months in prison, five of which will be served in home confinement, according to the DoJ. Additionally, Cook was ordered to serve three years of supervised release and to pay more than $930,000 back to the VA.

Court documents show that Cook enlisted in the Army in November 1985. The following year, after sustaining an injury, he argued that a preexisting eye condition had grown worse.

After a medical evaluation in 1987, Cook was discharged and began receiving VA disability benefits, the DoJ said. His compensation increased over the next 30 years and by 2005, when the VA wrongly declared Cook legally blind, his compensation reached the maximum rate.

He also received additional monetary benefits to remodel his home, the DoJ said.

“According to court records, Cook’s monthly VA disability payments in 1987 were $1,411 per month,” the DoJ stated in the release. “With the incremental increases in his disability rating, as well as cost-of-living adjustments and his Special Monthly Compensation, these payments steadily increased over the years. By 2016, the monthly payment had risen to $3,990.”

Cook was indicted in December 2020 and pleaded guilty to the theft of public money on July 19, 2021, court records show.

Court documents submitted by Cook’s attorney note that the Army veteran and father of two, “is deeply ashamed of his actions in this case…He knows this was wrong.”

Cook’s defense also noted he has been making repayments to the VA since 2017 when the department began “recouping his vision disability payments from his legitimate back disability payment.”

Cook’s attorney in the federal public defender’s office was not immediately available for comment.

On July 13 in Congress, lawmakers on the House oversight and reform panel discussed how to combat financial scams and fraud that disproportionately affect current and former troops, but scams involving government agencies like the VA are also common.

A church in Georgia, for instance, was raided by the FBI last month for allegedly scamming the VA out of millions, as reported by Military.com.

In July alone, the DoJ prosecuted a case against a soldier at Fort Stewart, Georgia, who schemed to target COVID-19 relief programs and a Rhode Island woman who falsified her military service to steal charitable contributions.

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#VeteranOfTheDay Army Air Forces Veteran Ralph Parr

#VeteranOfTheDay Army Air Forces Veteran Ralph Parr

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Army Air Forces Veteran Ralph Parr is today's Veteran of the Day.

Army Air Forces Veteran Ralph Parr is today’s Veteran of the Day.

Ralph Parr loved to fly. At five years old, his father, a Navy squadron commander, took him flying on his birthday. From that point forward, Parr’s fascination with flying grew. He enlisted in the Army Air Forces in 1942 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1944. During World War II, Parr served in the Pacific Theater, piloting the P-38 Lightning during the last eight weeks of the war.

During the Korean War, Parr flew the F-86 Sabre jet and faced many intimidating missions. One such mission occurred on June 7, 1953, when Parr was flying near the Yalu River. While descending, he spotted four enemy MiG-15 aircraft nearby. Deciding to pursue them, he succeeded in downing one aircraft. However, as he descended further, he discovered the enemy aircraft contingent was 16 strong. Realizing he was outmatched, Parr downed two aircraft and damaged a third before retreating to safety.

On June 30, Parr was attacked by 10 enemy aircraft during another mission and took down two aircraft when the fight unfolded. Despite being low on fuel, he also helped his besieged wing commander fight off other enemies before they returned to safety. Parr was awarded a Distinguished Service Cross for his action that day. He was an ace when the war ended in July.

Between the Korean War and Vietnam War, Parr served as a leading flight instructor and was also an F-4 squadron commander. When the Vietnam War started, Parr served two combat tours there. In 1968, he was with the 12th Tactical Fighter Wing as deputy commander of operations. He took part in the Battle of Khe Sanh when the North Vietnamese attacked a Marine garrison in Khe Sanh. During the battle, he flew eight passes against six enemy mortar and gun positions, helping the Americans secure their supply line and disrupt the North Vietnamese attack. For his actions, he received an Air Force Cross. Parr became the only person to receive both an Air Force Cross and a Distinguished Service Cross.

After the Vietnam War, Parr served in Iran with the Military Assistance Advisory Group. His final assignment took him to Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. He retired in 1976 at the rank of colonel.

During his 32-year career, Parr flew over 6,000 hours, took part in 641 missions in three wars and earned over 60 decorations, including a Distinguished Service Cross, Air Force Cross, 10 Distinguished Flying Crosses, Silver Star, Bronze Star and 41 Air Medals.

Parr died in 2012 at the age of 88. He is buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.

We honor his service.

Nominate a Veteran for #VeteranOfTheDay

Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? VA’s #VeteranOfTheDay social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.

It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission.

Contributors

Writer: Raymond Lin

Editors: Theresa Lyon, Annabelle Colton

Researcher: Yuki Harry

Graphic artist: Kiki Kelley



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#VeteranOfTheDay Army Air Forces Veteran Neel E. Kearby

#VeteranOfTheDay Army Air Forces Veteran Neel E. Kearby

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Army Air Forces Veteran Neel E. Kearby is today’s Veteran of the Day.

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Air Forces Veteran Neel E. Kearby, who served as a fighter pilot during World War II.

To a generation of young Americans, the flying aces of World War I inspired many to follow in their footsteps to become fighter pilots. Neel Earnest Kearby was one of those who grew up captivated by the aces. He joined the Army Air Corps—later renamed the Army Air Forces—after earning a degree in business administration from the University of Texas in Austin in 1937. He completed flight training at Randolph Field in San Antonio. Afterward, he served with two flight squadrons at Selfridge Field, Michigan, before receiving command of the 14th Pursuit Squadron in the Panama Canal Zone.

After Panama, Kearby returned to the U.S. to command the 348th Fighter Group and deployed to the Pacific Theater. In this position, Kearby earned his reputation as a fighter pilot and an aggressive tactician. The 348th Fighter Group was the first unit in the Pacific Theater to fly P-47 Thunderbolts. While many dismissed the P-47 as an unsuitable aircraft to fly against the Japanese, Kearby exploited the P-47’s high altitude and diving capabilities to tremendous success.

On Oct. 11, 1943, the same day he was promoted to colonel, Kearby led a mission to scout enemy bases near Wewak, New Guinea. After his group completed its objective, they spotted a contingent of enemy aircraft and engaged with them despite being outnumbered. Amid the ensuing fight, Kearby shot down three enemy aircraft and two more who were pursuing another pilot in his group. He destroyed another enemy aircraft before finally retreating into the safety of the clouds. Kearby received a Medal of Honor for his actions and for destroying the most enemy aircraft in a single mission. By November, he had 12 aerial victories.

In the same month, Kearby was set to assume an administrative role at the Fifth Air Force Fighter Command. Never one to give up flying, he made sure he could still fly combat missions in his new role. True to his goals, he continued to fly combat missions and accumulated 22 aerial victories.

On March 5, 1944, Kearby led a fighter sweeper mission near Wewak, New Guinea. He engaged with several Japanese bombers preparing to land. However, he was hit by machine-gun fire during the fight, causing him to crash. His remains were not recovered until 1949. He was buried at Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery with full military honors.

During his service, Col. Kearby received a Medal of Honor, two Silver Stars, four Distinguished Flying Crosses, a Purple Heart and five Air Medals.

We honor his service.

Nominate a Veteran for #VeteranOfTheDay

Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? VA’s #VeteranOfTheDay social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.

It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission.

Veterans History Project

This #VeteranOfTheDay profile was created with interviews submitted to the Veterans History Project. The project collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war Veterans so that future generations may hear directly from Veterans and better understand the realities of war. Find out more at http://www.loc.gov/vets/.

Writer: Raymond Lin

Editors: Alexander Reza, Annabelle Colton

Researcher: Giacomo Ferrari

Graphics: Kiki Kelley



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#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran William E. Vicars

#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran William E. Vicars

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Army Veteran William E. Vicars is today’s Veteran of the Day.

Army Veteran William E. Vicars is today’s Veteran of the Day.

William E. Vicars was born in Paris, Illinois, in May 1940 and, a year later, his family moved to Texas. Vicars grew up in El Paso, and graduated from Austin High School. In 1959, he enlisted in the Army and was sent to Ford Ord, Calif., for basic training and advanced individual training (AIT).

Upon completing AIT, Vicars was assigned to the 327th Infantry Regiment at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He spent a year and a half in the regiment before being transferred to the 18th Infantry Regiment at Coleman Barracks in Mannheim, Germany. In 1961, Vicars’ unit was the first unit to move into Berlin during the Berlin Crisis. The regiment stayed at Tempelhof Air Force Base for five months, then returned to Mannheim. At this time, Vicars was discharged as a sergeant and left the Army.

After 45 days, Vicars decided to reenlist. He was stationed at Fort Polk in Louisiana, and trained troops for three years. In 1965, he transferred to the 173rd Airborne Brigade on Okinawa, Japan, and on May 4, the regiment deployed to South Vietnam. They were stationed in Biên Hòa, but assisted units across the country. As a staff sergeant, Vicars was a machine gun squadron leader. In the month of May alone, Vicars’ unit was ambushed 17 times. In November 1965, Vicars was wounded in the stomach by a mortar and sent to Fort Sam Houston in Texas to recover.

After recovering, he was assigned to Fort Bliss in his hometown of El Paso. In 1969, he returned to Vietnam as a sergeant first class with the 1st Calvary Division and was stationed in Quần Lợi. Vicars served as a platoon leader, leading 20 soldiers. As a 29-year-old, he was known in his unit as the “old man.” In 1970, his unit started conducting missions in Cambodia. He remained in the field for eight consecutive months. In late 1970, Vicars returned to the United States. Over the next 10 years, he served at Fort Sill in Oklahoma with the 31st Infantry Regiment; in Gelnhausen, Germany, with the 28th Infantry Regiment; and at Fort Carson in Colorado with the 8th Infantry Regiment. In July 1980, Vicars retired as a command sergeant major after 21 years of service.

Following his retirement, Vicars taught Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC). He worked with the rifle teams in El Paso and at Austin High School for five years, and the Irvin High School for 17 years, dedicating 22 years to ROTC training.

Thank you for your service!

Nominate a Veteran for #VeteranOfTheDay

Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? VA’s #VeteranOfTheDay social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.

It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission.

Writer: Nathaniel Scott

Editors: Alexander Reza, Theresa Lyon

Researchers: Patrick E. Woods, David Charles Deprez

Graphic artist: Kiki Kelley



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#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran Luis R. Visot

#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran Luis R. Visot

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Army Veteran Luis R. Visot is today's Veteran of the Day.

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Luis R. Visot, who served as the chief of staff for the United States Army Reserve.

Luis R. Visot grew up in Ponce, Puerto Rico, and went to college in Wisconsin at Marquette University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish. In 1978, he was commissioned into the Army as a second lieutenant. In addition, he continued his education at the University of Georgia, earning a master’s degree in education in 1980.

Throughout his time in the Army, Visot deployed for Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, the Iraq War and Operation Unified Response. In between the Gulf War and the Iraq War, he served during the Implementation Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina. By 2014, he earned the title chief of staff for the United States Army Reserve. As chief of staff, Visot was “responsible for the synchronization and integration of the Army Reserve staff and leading its strategic and operational planning, activities and execution.”

While initially only planning to stay in the Army for eight years, Visot enjoyed his service and the opportunities to continue his military education and training. He earned an additional master’s degree in strategic studies from the United States Army War College. During his service, he committed himself to the Army’s ideal of selfless service and dedicated his time to showing his appreciation for his soldiers to increase their retention in the Army. When discussing his legacy, Visot said, “My duty and responsibility is to make sure I leave a better Army.”

In 2016, Visot retired as a major general. Throughout his 38 years of service, he received many awards, including an Army Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal with one oak leaf cluster and Defense Meritorious Service Medal. In 2020, Visot received his doctorate in education from George Washington University.

We honor his service.

Nominate a Veteran for #VeteranOfTheDay

Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? VA’s #VeteranOfTheDay social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.

It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission.

Veterans History Project

This #VeteranOfTheDay profile was created with interviews submitted to the Veterans History Project. The project collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war Veterans so that future generations may hear directly from Veterans and better understand the realities of war. Find out more at http://www.loc.gov/vets/.

Writer: Kimberly Kassis

Editors: Annabelle Colton, Alex Reza, and Wilson S. Sainvil

Researcher: Giacomo Ferrari

Graphics: Kiki Kelley



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