#VeteranOfTheDay Navy Veteran Alexander Laird III

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Navy Veteran Alexander Laird III.

Alexander was born July 21, 1942. He joined the Navy in 1964 and served for twenty years before retiring in 1984.

Alexander served aboard USS Boone and with Coastal Squadron One aboard swift boats during the Vietnam war. He was awarded the National Defense Ribbon, Vietnam Service Medal, 3 Good Conduct Medals, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Navy Unit Commendation Award, Battle Efficiency Award, Pistol Expert Award, and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.

He died on May 18, 2016.

A Military Honors Memorial service was held for Alexander on May 27, 2016 at the Florence National Cemetery in South Carolina. He was buried at sea on July 18 in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina.

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? You’re in luck! VA’s #VeteranOfTheDay social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service..

It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. All it takes is an email to newmedia@va.gov with as much of the information as you can put together with some good photos. Visit our blog post about nominating for how to create the best submission.