#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran Jesse Beazley

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army World War II Veteran Jesse Beazley.

Jesse served as a combat rifleman. In 2004, he shared his story about his time in the military with the Veterans History Project. He believed it was important for people to learn from and about the war.

At the age of 19, Jesse enlisted in the Army.. After training for just a few weeks he was sent to England to prepare for D-Day. The invasion was scheduled for June 5, but due to bad weather General Eisenhower called it off. The next day Jesse recalls “seeing the looks on the faces of the young men…but all at once it got completely silent, and young men looked like old men. We were praying, all of us praying.” During the battle, his boat was hit and he felt his body burning up. He saved himself by jumping into the icy water with only his rifle and gas mask and swam towards the shore.

When he finally arrived on land he was separated from his unit, yet he stood his ground in a foxhole and continued to aim for the enemy with his rife. In what he said was the worst night of his life, he heard an American officer warning everyone to get in a foxhole during an intense battle. The following day Jesse remembers waking up alone, not knowing who was alive and what was left to fight. All the men continued to push through, fighting for a win for our country. On Dec. 7, 1945, he got the notice that he was finally going home.

Jesse’s unit, the 2nd Division, 38th Infantry Regiment, Company L, later received a Presidential Citation and many other accolades.

Jesse Beazley passed away in 2015.

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.

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.