Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Air Force Veteran Cormac McCarthy, the celebrated and best-selling author of 12 novels and multiple plays and short stories, including “The Road” and “No Country for Old Men.”
McCarthy was born in Rhode Island in 1933, but grew up in Tennessee. The college dropout joined the Air Force in 1953, serving four years total, including two in Alaska. It was there that the bored airman “read a lot of books very quickly,” perhaps spurning his aversion to punctuation and an interest in writing.
When McCarthy completed his enlistment and re-entered school, he wrote and published two award-winning stories. After dropping out (again, and finally), he moved into a shack at the foothills of the Smokey Mountains to focus on writing. “I always knew that I didn’t want to work,” McCarthy said in 2017 interview. “You have to be dedicated, but it was my number-one priority.”
What followed was more than 55 years of success and critical acclaim, as McCarthy eventually became the recipient and winner of the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
McCarthy died at his home in New Mexico on June 13, 2023. He was 89.
We honor his service.
Nominate a Veteran
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 “Honoring Veterans” social media spotlight 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
Topics in this story
Link Disclaimer
This page includes links to other websites outside our control and jurisdiction. VA is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of non-VA Web sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policy or terms and conditions of those sites to fully understand what information is collected and how it is used.
More Stories
In honor of National Park Service's National Park Week, this week's Honoring Veterans spotlight honors the service of Army Veteran Michael Trevino, who today works as a facility manager at Reconstruction Era National Historical Park.
This week’s Honoring Veterans Spotlight honors the service of Navy Veteran Ken Mattingly, who served as a pilot during the 1950s and later became an astronaut during the Apollo missions.
This week’s Honoring Veterans Spotlight honors the service of Air Force Veteran Gavino Cavazos, who served from 1949 to 1973 during both the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
