Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Barry Nelson.

Did you know that the first James Bond was an American Veteran? In 1954, when 007 made his screen debut, the spy sported a crew cut, drank whiskey, spoke like an American, and went with the friendlier nickname of “Jimmy.” While the Bond of the books was a British Naval Commander, CBS cast Barry Nelson in the role. Barry had served in an entertainment unit of the U.S. Army during World War II, and had experience in both in MGM productions and on Broadway.

Barry went on to have a long career in the film industry. Among his other film credits were “Airport” and “The Shining”, and he also appeared on such television series as “Murder, She Wrote,” “Dallas,” “Cannon” and “Magnum, P.I.”

Barry passed away in 2007. 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.

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