Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran Jeffrey Van Goins

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Jeffrey Van Goins. Jeffrey served from 1981 to 1992 during the Persian Gulf War. Jeffrey was born on May 28, 1956 in Dayton, Ohio and worked as a high school teacher in his hometown. At the encouragement of his father, Jeffrey enlisted in the Army in 1981 to learn discipline, and he instantly enjoyed being in the service. He completed basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina before becoming a personnel and records specialist at Fort Knox, Kentucky.

After a year of training, including ammunition school at Fort Hood, Texas, Jeffrey became a lieutenant of an aviation unit and was assigned to Germany. While overseas, his wife would travel to Czechoslovakia where he could go to visit her. At the start of the Gulf War, his aviation unit deployed to Saudi Arabia for Operation Desert Shield, completing night missions in Iraq and Kuwait. In 1991, their unit was headed for assignment in Baghdad when they were informed that the war had ended.

After leaving the service, Jeffrey went back to school and received a degree in business administration, his teacher’s certification, and two masters’ degrees, one in educational leadership.

Thank you for your service, Jeffrey!

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 information as you can put together, along with some good photos. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn 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.