#VeteranOfTheDay Lee Briggs

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Air Force Veteran Lee Brigs. Lee served from 1968-1975.

Lee was drafted in 1968 and joined the Air Force. He served as a technical sergeant in the personnel field. He recalled in an interview with the Veteran’s History Project, that basic training was difficult and he learned many “military laws and different things associated with the military…the rest of it was more of a mental head game…if you can handle that, Air Force training is easy.” His first active duty station was Scott Air Force Base. At that base he helped transport supplies when natural disasters hit. Later, he moved to a base in Australia.

Lee said he was fortunate that he didn’t have to go into any combat situations, and had friends who came back from Vietnam with many war stories. His most memorable experience was at his first duty station. He stayed in the barracks with about 20 other airmen and they became really close; many are still friends today. He liked that he met so many different people from across the country. During the sixties and seventies there was a lot of racial tension throughout the nation, but Lee said most of his experiences were good.

Lee was awarded with the Vietnam Service Medal Good Conduct Medal, and the Expert Marksmanship Ribbon.

Thank you for your service, Lee!

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/.