Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Navy Veteran Augustus Prince. Augustus served during World War II.
Augustus grew up with his mother and two siblings in Philadelphia. As a single parent, Augustus’ mother always stressed discipline, honesty, and education. After graduating high school, Augustus worked in a ship yard to earn money for college.
Then, in 1944 Augustus joined the Navy. Having been interested in math and science as a boy, he pursued radar school. In radar school, Augustus was top of his class. He became the first black Radarman in the Navy.
When Augustus was assigned to his ship, he was worried he might be treated differently, but instead he was admired. “I taught a lot of the other radarmen their algebra and geometry and what-not because I did have a little more education and it paid off because they began to respect me,” Augustus said in an interview with the Veterans History Project.
Augustus served 18 months in the Navy before he left the service. When reflecting on his service he said, “I can say I learned a lot, I grew up in the Navy. And I think the most important thing I learned was I’m as good as anybody.”
Thank you for your service, Augustus!
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.
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/.
Graphic created by Carl J. Valentino: Carl J. Valentino is a student at the University of Delaware with a Major in International Business and a Minor in Graphic Design.
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