#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran Omar Forde

Veteran of the Day graphic created by Alexandra Craig for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Omar Forde. Omar served during the war in Afghanistan.

Omar enlisted in the United States Army after graduating high school. He received training as an electronic war specialist and was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division out of Fort Riley, Kansas. During his enlistment, Omar was deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

On Dec. 17, 2013 while serving in Afghanistan, Omar was mortally wounded when his Black Hawk transport helicopter was shot down by Taliban forces.

Throughout his service, Omar reached the rank of sergeant 1st class. For actions during his service, Omar was awarded the Bronze Star. He is remembered as a charismatic and caring man by his friends and family.

We honor his service.

Memorial Day Awareness

This month, the VA’s National Cemetery Administration is partnering with Carry the Load, a nonprofit organization that connects Americans to the sacrifices made daily by the U.S. military, Veterans, first responders and their families to commemorate the “Memorial May” awareness campaign. The VA will share the stories of service members and Veterans who paid the ultimate sacrifice in “Veteran of the Day” posts leading up to Memorial Day 2019.

Contributors

Editor: Geoffrey Townsley

Fact checker: Jordan Gossett

Graphic design: Alexandra Craig