#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran Carl G. Eygnor

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Carl G. Eygnor.  Carl served during World War II.

In 1943, Carl was drafted into the United States Army. After receiving basic and infantry training, Carl was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 349th Infantry Regiment, 88th Infantry Division stationed in Europe. His division was then assigned to Italy, with the objective of moving north towards France.

Carl and his battalion began in Rome. As they moved forward, Carl and his fellow soldiers laid down telephone lines and moved artillery pieces using mules. In their advance toward Switzerland, he and his men came under sporadic sniper and artillery fire from remaining German forces. As a result, they were often forced to travel down rugged and heavily mined paths. Upon reaching the Po Valley of Northern Italy, Carl assisted in moving hundreds of German prisoners to the rear.

By the time Carl reached the Italian boarder with Switzerland, Germany had surrendered, bringing an end to the war. Carl was then sent to a small town on the Swiss-Italian boarder, where he was responsible for repatriating German soldiers and prisoners back to Germany. In recognition of his work transporting artillery under exceptionally difficult circumstances and effectively dealing with hundreds of German POWs, Carl earned the Bronze Star and the Army Good Conduct Medal.

Carl was discharged in 1945.

Thank you for your service, Carl!

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? 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.