#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran Jeremiah Thomas Wittman

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Jeremiah Thomas Wittman, a mortarman who served in Afghanistan. His sacrifice is honored by Carry the Load’s Memorial May events.

Jeremiah Thomas Wittman was born in July 1983 in Billings, Montana. He attended elementary and middle school in Billings, and then moved to Powell, Wyoming. Wittman graduated from Trapper Creek High School in Darby, Montana. In his adult life, he enjoyed dirt bike racing, hunting, action movies and grilling outside. His favorite television show was “How I Met Your Mother.”

Wittman enlisted in the Army in 2004. He served two tours over a period of 15 months in Iraq before answering the call to duty in Afghanistan a year and a half later. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, based in Fort Carson, Colorado, to serve in Operation Enduring Freedom as a mortarman.

Wittman was killed in action in February 2010 in Zhari Province, Afghanistan, when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device (IED), which also killed two other soldiers. His service awards include a Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with campaign star, Iraq Campaign Medal with campaign star, Army Service Ribbon, two Overseas Service Ribbons, a NATO Medal and a Combat Action Badge.

In February 2010, a funeral service was held for Wittman at Buck Creek Baptist Church in Chesnee, South Carolina. His remains were interred in Yellowstone National Cemetery in August 2018. At the time of his passing, he was survived by his parents, his wife, two daughters, three sisters, one brother, and his mother-in-law and father-in-law.

To post a tribute this Memorial Day for Jeremiah Thomas Wittman, please visit the Veterans Legacy Memorial at https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/JEREMIAHTWITTMAN/FEB24A4.

We honor his service.

Carry the Load

In 2022, VA is joining forces with Carry The Load to honor veterans during the “Memorial May” March, a national relay visiting 50 VA national cemeteries to honor our nation’s fallen service members. A link to this webpage is here. The complete list of participating cemeteries can be found here. Volunteers are encouraged to register in advance.

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: Kim McAdams

Editors: Theresa Lyon, Annabelle Colton

Researchers: Patrick E. Woods, David Deprez, Raphael Romea

Graphic Designer: Kiki Kelley

Project Manager: Oasis Diaz