#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran Edward Duane Bryantn

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Edward Duane Bryant. Edward served in the Vietnam War.

Born in Dallas, Texas, Edward followed in the path of his uncle and grandfather by enlisting with the United States Army in 1968. After being rejected twice for flat feet, Edward was finally accepted into the Army on his third enlistment attempt.

Following his enlistment, Edward was sent to Fort Lewis, Washington for six weeks of basic training. After completing his training, Edward chose to serve in Vietnam and was flown into Long Binh two weeks later. Upon arriving, Edward was assigned as a cook with Company E, Troop Command, US Army Depot Long Binh, and periodically attached as a cook for other battalions.

During his time in Long Binh, Edward occasionally served on camp guard duty. One night, while on guard duty, Edward noticed the light of a cigarette off in the distance. After calling it into his superiors, Edward was given permission to open fire on the target. The following day, Edward received a commendation for defending the base.

Edward was discharged from the Army in 1972 at the rank of sergeant. After being discharged, Edward began work as a butcher.

Thank you for your service, Edward!

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 Nikki Lumbre: Nikki is an undergraduate junior at The Catholic University of America studying Anthropology and Asian Studies.