#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran Robert Ondrish

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Robert Ondrish. Robert served from 1947 to 1968, including during the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

Robert was born in October 1929 and enlisted in the Army in 1947. He completed basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and became an infantryman. Robert was assigned to Korea in February 1948 and served in Pusan and Osaka, Japan, before the Korean War. He returned to the United States and extended his enlistment by a year. Robert was sent to Korea in July 1950 after the start of the war.

Robert’s unit fought in the Battle of Pusan Perimeter, one of the first major battles of the Korean War. They then pushed north through Korea- a time in which Robert recalled seeing combat nearly every day. He became a squad leader during this campaign.

Robert returned to the U.S in the Spring of 1951. He married his wife, with whom he had two children, and served in Baumholder, Germany. He later worked as an Army ROTC instructor at South Dakota State University. After the start of the Vietnam War, Robert was assigned to Panama for jungle warfare training before traveling to Vietnam. He returned to his home in Indianapolis in 1964 and joined the Army reserves. He was awarded the Bronze Star and later earned a degree through the GI Bill and worked for the United States Geological Survey.

Robert passed away on Aug. 1, 2005.

We honor his service.

Nominate a Veteran for 

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 By Lilian Vo: Lilian Vo is an undergraduate senior at George Mason University studying Global Affairs and Intelligence Analysis.