#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran Harold R. Peterson

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Harold R. Peterson. Harold served in the Army from 1946 to 1953 and deployed to Japan and Korea.

In an interview with the Veteran’s History Project, Harold describes enlisting in the Army shortly after the end of World War II once he was old enough. Harold was deployed to Osaka, Japan as part of a peace force to promote positive relations between the United States and the Japanese people. Harold spent over two years working with Japanese police and American forces to help rebuild Japan.

Harold was discharged in July 1949 and was called back in December 1949 at the start of the Korean War. He trained as a cryptographer before deploying to Korea. Despite being a cryptographer, he was sent to the front lines and faced heavy mortar fire.

When Harold returned from Korea, he met his five-month-old daughter for the first time. When he held her she began to cry, which Harold described as “music to his ears”.

Thank you for your service, Harold.

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