#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran Ora Mae Hyatt

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army World War II Veteran Ora Mae Hyatt.

Ora Mae was just 18 years old when the attack on Pearl Harbor changed an entire country. She altered her original career aspirations and volunteered to join the Army as a nurse. Three years later, with her nursing degree, Ora Mae commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Army Nurse Corps in 1944.

Shortly thereafter, Ora Mae was shipped to the Pacific Theater and arrived on the shores of Okinawa in 1945. She volunteered to serve in the 27th Field Hospital, set just behind the front lines on Okinawa beach. Working tirelessly amid the fierce battle, Ora Mae aided wounded soldiers. She accounted this experience as the most rewarding moment in her life.

After the war ended, Ora Mae stayed on at Tachikawa Hospital to tend to prisoners of war before returning home.

Her friends and family describe Orae Mae as a warm-hearted humanitarian. “Her numerous posterity is but the tiniest fraction of those whose lives she has touched with her smile, her genuine caring, her acts of service, her strength of character, and her sweet, unmovable testimony.”

Ora Mae passed away on April 1, 2017.

We honor her 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.

Graphic By Kierra Willis: Kierra Willis is a Graphic Communication Major at the University of Maryland University College. She currently has an AAS in Graphic Design and Visual Communications.