#VeteranOfTheDay is Air Force Veteran Bob Hoover

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Bob Hoover.

General Jimmy Doolittle called Bob “the greatest stick-and-rudder man that ever lived.”

Bob learned how to fly when he was a teenager and enlisted in the Tennessee National Guard during World War II and joined the Army Air Corps. He was sent to Army Pilot Training School and then deployed to Europe.

He was shot down, for the first time, on his 59th mission over Southern France. He had spent 16 months as a prisoner of war in a Nazi prison camp when he decided to jump over a barbwire fence and steal an unguarded Focke-Wulf 190 from the nearby airfield.

After the war, Bob was a test pilot flying alongside Chuck Yeager and chase plane pilot when Yeager broke the sound barrier in 1947. He continued to perform at air shows well after his military career.

Bob passed away on October 25. He was 94.

We honor Bob’s 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.