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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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#VeteranOfTheDay Marine Corps Veteran Gil Hodges

#VeteranOfTheDay Marine Corps Veteran Gil Hodges

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MLB Hall of Famer Gil Hodges Veteran of the Day

Marine Corps Veteran Gil Hodges is today’s Veteran of the Day

Gil Hodges was born in April 1924, in Princeton, Indiana. He was the middle of three children and had a decorated high school athletic career. According to a Baseball’s Biggest Sacrifice, he was a four-sport athlete and turned down a Major League Baseball contract with the Detroit Tigers during high school. He attended college at St. Joseph’s in Indiana, and later signed a deal with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1943.

Hodges made his major league debut on Oct. 3, 1943, the same day the season ended, and then enlisted in the Marine Corps days later. He completed basic training in San Diego, and in March 1944 was stationed at Pearl Harbor. During his tenure in Hawaii, Hodges often demonstrated his baseball skills playing against other battalions, according to a Baseball in Wartime article.

Hodges was sent to Tinian Island and took part in the invasion of Okinawa in April 1945. In a letter to his family, he described a Japanese kamikaze that “crashed on the bow” of one of the American vessels and was sure that “quite a few” service members were hurt. Hodges wrote that he could “write all day” and still not cover everything he saw.

After the invasion, Hodges stayed on Okinawa working in intelligence and was charged with protecting classified documents during enemy raids. He was stationed on the island until October 1945 and was honorably discharged three months later at the rank of sergeant. He received a Bronze Star for his service during the invasion.

After his military service, Hodges returned to the Dodgers in 1946. He was an eight-time all-star; a winner of the Gold Glove award three times; and won two World Series with Brooklyn, according to Baseball’s Greatest Sacrifice. He later became the manager of the New York Mets, leading them to a World Series in 1969.

During spring training in 1972, Hodges suffered a fatal heart attack shortly before his 48th birthday. He was recently elected to the MLB Hall of Fame on the Golden Days Era ballot.

We honor his service. 

Writer: Ryan Beane

Editors: Nathaniel Scott, Nicolas Nunnally

Researcher: Anthony Mendez

Graphics: Kiki Kelley

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#VeteranOfTheDay Marine Corps Veteran Roberto Clemente

#VeteranOfTheDay Marine Corps Veteran Roberto Clemente

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Marine Corps Veteran Roberto Clemente is today’s Veteran of the Day.

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Marine Corps Veteran Roberto Clemente, who served as an infantryman in the Marine Corps Reserve.

Roberto Clemente was born in August 1934 in Carolina, Puerto Rico. He was the youngest of seven children.

In 1954, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected Clemente from the Brooklyn Dodgers in Major League Baseball’s Rule 5 draft, elevating the young slugger from the minor leagues into MLB. But in 1958, Clemente enlisted in the Marine Corps as a reserve infantryman. For six years until 1964, he spent his off-seasons serving on duty.

Clemente spent six months on active duty at Parris Island, South Carolina, and Camp LeJeune, North Carolina. At Parris Island, he completed basic training with Platoon 346 of the 3rd Recruit Battalion. Clemente was one of seven in his 130-member platoon promoted to private first class. At Camp Lejeune, he completed infantry training with the 3rd Battalion, 1st Infantry Training Regiment.

When the Pirates began spring training in 1959, it conflicted with Clemente’s military commitment. With the support of Pennsylvania State Senator John M. Walker, the team requested Clemente be allowed to leave military training a month early, which would enable him to participate in spring training. The request was granted.

For his career, Clemente achieved exactly 3,000 hits, as well as 240 home runs and a lifetime batting average of .317. He was a two-time World Series champion (1960, 1971), won the National League Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in 1966 and the World Series MVP in 1971. Every year from 1961 to 1972, he won a Gold Glove. And he led the National League in hitting in 1961, 1964, 1965 and 1967.

Outside of baseball, Clemente was heavily involved in charity work in Latin American and Caribbean countries. On Dec. 31, 1972, eight days after a massive earthquake hit Managua, Nicaragua, Clemente was en route to deliver aid to the victims when his plane crashed, resulting in his death. He was 38.

The following year, the Pirates retired No. 21, his uniform number. Additionally, MLB renamed its Commissioner’s Award in his honor. The award is given to the player each year who “best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual’s contribution to his team.”

Clemente was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame in 1973 and the Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame in 2003. He was also inducted in the Puerto Rican Veterans Hall of Fame in 2018.

In May 1973, Clemente was posthumously awarded a Congressional Gold Medal and a Presidential Citizens Medal. In July 2003, he was awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Clemente was said to have three goals in life: be on a World Series championship team, win a batting championship and build a recreation center in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He accomplished all three.

The Roberto Clemente Sports City Complex is located in Carolina, just outside of San Juan. The complex provides young people with athletic opportunities in baseball, football, soccer, swimming and tennis.

Numerous other locations, including schools, parks and hospitals are also named in Clemente’s honor, from Puerto Rico all the way to Germany.

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: Alexandra Kaiser

Editors: Annabelle Colton, Theresa Lyon

Researcher: Patrick Woods

Graphics: Philip Levine



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#VeteranOfTheDay Army Air Corps Veteran Fitzroy “Buck” Newsum

#VeteranOfTheDay Army Air Corps Veteran Fitzroy “Buck” Newsum

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Army Air Corps Veteran Fitzroy “Buck” Newsum is today’s Veteran of the Day.

Army Air Corps Veteran Fitzroy “Buck” Newsum is today’s Veteran of the Day.

Fitzroy “Buck” Newsum was born in New York City, New York, in 1918. At age one, he moved to the island of Barbados, where he was raised by his grandparents. When he was 10, he saw his first aircraft in Trinidad.

Newsum graduated from the College of Military Science at the University of Maryland, before joining the New York National Guard. He deployed to Hawaii with the Anti-Aircraft Coast Artillery Corps. However, his ultimate goal was to fly.

Before Newsum returned to the mainland, President Roosevelt signed an executive order which prohibited discrimination in government agencies. After this, Roosevelt planned for 33 Black men, including Newsum, to take a test for potential entry into the U.S. Army Air Corps.

Newsum passed. However, unlike the other men who chose to attend Officers Candidate School, Newsum decided on flight training, which occurred at the Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama.

Formally known as the 332nd Fighter Group and 477th Bombardment Group of the U.S. Army Air Corps, the Tuskegee Airmen were composed primarily of Black men. It was established in 1941, and two years later, Newsum joined and became one of its 994 pilots. He flew a P-47 Thunderbolt fighter, serving in World War II and the Korean War.

Newsum remained in the Air Force until 1970. He retired at the rank of colonel. He earned a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Oklahoma before moving to Denver and working in public relations for Martin Marietta Aerospace.

In 1989, Newsum, on behalf of the Tuskegee Airmen, was the recipient of the Brig. Gen. Noel F. Parish Award for outstanding achievement. Two years later, he was inducted into the Colorado Aviation Hall of Fame. Newsum was one of the former Tuskegee Airmen awarded a Congressional Gold Medal by President George W. Bush in 2007. He was also one of the founding members of the Hubert L. “Hooks” Jones Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen in Colorado.

Newsum died in January 2013. He was buried with full military honors at Fort Logan National Cemetery in Colorado.

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: Alexandra Kaiser

Editors: Alexander Reza, Theresa Lyon

Researchers: Patrick E. Woods, Giacomo Ferrari

Graphic Designer: Yasmine Pierce



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#VeteranOfTheDay Navy Veteran Richard O’Kane

#VeteranOfTheDay Navy Veteran Richard O’Kane

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Navy Veteran Richard O’Kane is today’s Veteran of the Day.

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Navy Veteran Richard O’Kane, who served as a submarine commander and received a Medal of Honor during World War II.

Richard O’Kane graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1934 and commissioned into the Navy. His first assignments were aboard USS Chester and USS Pruitt before he entered submarine training in New London, Connecticut. After training, he embarked on a four-year stint aboard USS Argonaut until he became the executive officer aboard USS Wahoo shortly after the U.S. entered World War II. Here, O’Kane served in five combat patrols.

In October 1943, O’Kane took command of the newly commissioned USS Tang. In the following months, he led four combat patrols in the Pacific Theater. On his first patrol, Tang sank five Japanese ships near the Caroline and Mariana Islands. His second patrol took him near Palau, where he led seven operations, saving 22 downed U.S. pilots. On his third patrol in the Yellow and East China Seas,he led his crew against Japanese forces, sinking 10 ships. Later, O’Kane and the Tang engaged with Japanese forces near Honshu. By then, his leadership helped establish Tang as one of the most successful U.S. submarines. Still, his story would only grow as Tang embarked on its fifth and final patrol.

In October 1944, O’Kane and his crew spotted a large Japanese convoy near the Taiwan Strait. Deciding to attack it in the night, Tang’s torpedoes hit three ships before evading two other ships attempting to ram it. Those ships collided, allowing O’Kane to fire torpedoes that sunk one of them. By morning, O’Kane spotted another Japanese convoy headed to the Leyte Gulf; he led Tang on its final attack. It fired multiple torpedoes that damaged numerous ships. As Tang fired its last two torpedoes, one hit an enemy ship, but the second curved back toward Tang. While O’Kane attempted to outmaneuver the rogue torpedo, it was too late as it struck Tang. Out of O’Kane’s 87-member crew, only nine survived, including himself. After its destruction, the survivors were captured by the Japanese and became prisoners of war for 10 months.

After the war, O’Kane received a Medal of Honor for his actions during Tang’s final patrol. Tang was officially recognized as having sunk 24 Japanese ships, totaling 93,824 tons. However, O’Kane believed the numbers were actually 33 ships, totaling 116,454 tons. Regardless, these numbers made Tang the most successful U.S. submarine operating during World War II.

Later, O’Kane testified at the trials for Japanese war crimes. He also continued his service in the Navy before retiring in 1957 at the rank of rear admiral.

O’Kane died in 1994 and is buried at Arlington 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.

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: Annabelle Colton, Nathaniel Scott

Researchers: Patrick Woods, Kennady Hertz

Graphics: Yasmine Pierce



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#VeteranOfTheDay Marine Corps Veteran James E. Webb

#VeteranOfTheDay Marine Corps Veteran James E. Webb

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Marine Corps Veteran James E. Webb is today’s Veteran of the Day.

Marine Corps Veteran James E. Webb is today’s Veteran of the Day.

James Edwin Webb was born in the small town of Tally Ho, North Carolina, in 1906. Webb came of age during the Great Depression and spent his high school years working as a clerk at a local grocery store. He later attended the University of North Carolina and paid his way through school by working as a letter writer and typist.

Webb graduated in 1928 with a degree in education. He joined the Marine Corps Reserve in 1930 after reading in the newspaper that the Marines were looking for college graduates to serve as pilots. Webb thought that military service might provide a way out of poverty.

“I couldn’t see anything other than eking out an existence,” Webb said in a 1985 interview, “and I felt that if I didn’t make it in the Marine Corps… I at least would wind up in New York and I probably could get a job up there.”

Webb trained to be a naval aviator at Pensacola Naval Air Station in Florida and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1931. He spent a year on active duty in Quantico, Virginia, then moved to Washington, D.C., to become a secretary for North Carolina Congressman Edward Pou in 1932. Webb continued flying as a Marine Reservist while attending night school and received a law degree from George Washington University in 1936. That same year, he moved to New York to work for the Sperry Gyroscope Company, eventually becoming vice president. In 1944, during World War II, Webb returned to active duty and became commanding officer of the 1st Marine Air Warning Group at Cherry Point, North Carolina. He left the Marine Corps with the rank of lieutenant colonel.

In the decade after the war, Webb held a variety of managerial positions in both the private sector and federal government, including working as undersecretary of state for President Harry Truman. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy appointed Webb to serve as the administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which was established a few years earlier after the launch of the Soviet Union’s Sputnik satellite. Webb was initially reluctant, believing he was not qualified to lead NASA and that a scientist would be a better choice. However, President Kennedy convinced Webb that his management skills made him well-suited for the job.

“President Kennedy said, ‘I want you for this reason,’” Webb said. “And I’ve never said no to any president who has asked me to do things.”

As NASA administrator, Webb helped guide the United States through the Space Race with the Soviet Union and worked on developing the Apollo program to accomplish President Kennedy’s goal of getting an American to the moon before 1970. However, a fire on the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida resulted in the deaths of Apollo 1 astronauts Roger Chaffee, Virgil “Gus” Grissom and Edward White in 1967. He resigned from NASA in 1968, less than a year before the Apollo 11 astronauts landed on the moon.

Webb died on March 27, 1992. The James Webb Space Telescope, launched on Dec. 25, 2021, bears his name.

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: Stephen Hill

Editors: Nicolas Nunnally, Annabelle Colton

Researcher: Patrick E. Woods

Graphic artist: Brittany Gorski



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#VeteranOfTheDay Navy Veteran James David Watkins

#VeteranOfTheDay Navy Veteran James David Watkins

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Navy Veteran James David Watkins is today's Veteran of the Day.

#VeteranOfTheDay is Navy Veteran James David Watkins, who served as a nuclear submariner for much of his career.

James David Watkins was born in March 1927, in Alhambra, California. The son of a successful entrepreneurial family, Watkins’s life was perhaps shaped most by his mother, who often took him and his brother George to the nearby port to watch ships sail into the harbor. This influence likely led both sons to careers in the Navy.

After attending the University of California at Berkeley, Watkins entered the Naval Academy on appointment in 1945. He graduated from the academy on June 3, was commissioned an ensign, and joined USS Fechteler. The imminent start of the Korean War saw Fechteler deploy to Pearl Harbor in 1950, where it remained in preparation for the conflict. Watkins was detached from Fechteler in December of that year, whereupon he was assigned to submarine training at the Submarine School in New London, Connecticut.

Following his completion of submarine training in the summer of 1951, Watkins reported aboard USS Volador for service in and near Korean waters. During this time, Volador performed reconnaissance missions, monitoring Soviet and Chinese radio transmissions. In his time aboard Volador, Watkins advanced to the position of engineer officer on the Staff of Commander Submarine Division Fifty-Two. His service aboard a nuclear vessel was another key point in his service history as Watkins departed to advance his education. Obtaining a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering at the Naval Postgraduate School in 1958, Watkins’ career advanced into nuclear reactor engineering, later receiving instruction at the Oak Ridge, Tennessee, School of Reactor Technology.

Throughout the 1960s, Watkins continued his duties on submarines, nuclear and otherwise, serving aboard such vessels as the USS Barbero and USS Snook. Eventually Watkins’ professionalism, diligence, experience and knowledge landed him aboard USS Long Beach, the first nuclear-powered surface warship, as its executive officer in 1967. Aboard Long Beach, Watkins deployed to the Gulf of Tonkin in support of Task Force Seventy-Two during the Vietnam War.

Watkins was selected to become a rear admiral on April 27, 1971, and would serve as chief of naval operations before retiring in 1986.

Watkins earned an Officer Submarine Warfare insignia, Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge, Defense Distinguished Service Medal with one bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, Navy Distinguished Service Medal with two gold award stars, Army Distinguished Service Medal, Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with two award stars, Bronze Star Medal with Valor device, Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Unit Commendation with one bronze service star, Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation, Navy Expeditionary Medal, China Service Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Navy Occupation Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star, Korean Service Medal and a Vietnam Service Medal with four bronze service stars.

Watkins died on July 26, 2012, at the age of 85.

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: Milosh Mihajlovic-Klaric

Editors: Annabelle Colton, Merrit Pope

Researchers: Giacomo Ferrari, Kennady Hertz

Graphics: Kiki Kelley



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