#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran James Nelson Platt

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran James Nelson Platt. James served during World War I from 1918 to 1920.

James was born in 1892 in Pomfret, Connecticut. In 1909, he graduated high school and saw an ad in a newspaper for registration at the University of Maine, at which point he took a train to Orono, Maine to register. James completed two and a half years of university in Civil Engineering but left his studies in 1912.

In February of 1912, he took a high school teaching job to teach Science and Math in Guilford, Connecticut. While teaching, he attended Yale University. While at Yale University, he was part of the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Field Artillery Battery. When President Wilson sent General John Pershing to Mexico to capture Pancho Villa, James’ ROTC unit was mobilized as part of the Connecticut National Guard.

James was then assigned to the Depot Brigade in Camp Devens where he stayed for 31 days. He was then transferred to Camp Mills where he was assigned to Company C of the 12^th Machine Gun Battalion, 4^th Division. From Camp Mills, he was then sent to Liverpool, England via ship and then to France.

James fought in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive and in the battles up to and on the Vesle River. He was wounded in battle at Meuse-Argonne and shipped back to the United States to Camp Meade, Maryland where he met his would-be wife, Eunice Augur.

On January 7, 1920, James was discharged from the Army and he returned to Connecticut.

James passed away in 1977 at the age of 84.

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/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 Emma Catlett. Emma is a sophomore at Baylor University and is studying Political Science with a French minor and Pre-Law concentration.