#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran Leonard Goldbeck

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Leonard Goldbeck. Leonard served in the United States Army from 1942 to 1945 during World War II.

Leonard joined the Army in 1942. His first assignment was Cairo, Egypt; where, as a military policeman, he served as perimeter security for President Roosevelt’s 1943 Cairo Conference. In 1945, his unit was reassigned to Korea to receive the Japanese surrender.

Leonard completed his service in late 1945 as a Technician 5^th Grade and returned home to Wisconsin. He became a pharmacy technician and, later, an assistant postmaster, then city clerk and assessor. He helped found Legion Post 508 and served as its first president. He, along with his wife and other legionnaires, spent his summers barbecuing chicken to raise money to establish and fund the town’s kindergarten, swimming pool and many other community services.

In 1950, he married Mary Cantlon, and together they had three children.

Leonard’s unit was deactivated in the 1960s. In the 1980s, his son, Major Brian Goldbeck, helped reactivate his father’s Military Police Battalion and served on its executive staff.

Leonard passed away in 1967.

We honor his 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/his 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.

Graphic created by Dominique Ramirez: Dominique is a member of VA’s Digital Media Engagement team. He manages multiple pages across the VA.gov domain, including the VAntage Point blog. He also creates graphics for VA’s social media channels.