#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran John Edgar Keogh

Veteran of the Day graphic created by Emma Catlett for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran, John Edgar Keogh. John served during World War II and the Korean War.

At the onset of World War II, John Edgar Keough was close to graduating high school. He was setting pins in a bowling alley when he heard about the attack on Pearl Harbor. After graduation, John and his brother joined the Army, and he was sent to Camp Roberts in California for training in communications, like how to operate switchboards and telephones.

After John completed training, he was sent as a replacement to the 147th Infantry in British Samoa, where he often listened to stories of the men who fought at Guadalcanal. It wasn’t long until John was living stories he’d later retell.

John did various jobs as part of the 147^th Infantry. First, he worked as a switchboard operator, then as a wireman. One day while laying wire in the jungle, John had to climb a tree to wrap the wire. In the tree, John came face to face with a snake. Other jobs included working as a gunner on a 37-millimeter cannon, and also in intelligence, where his brother was the company’s intelligence sergeant. The two brothers stayed together throughout the war, except for when John’s brother was injured. John also remembers clearing caves on the islands, like at Iwo Jima. Clearing mines would later give him nightmares.

When the war ended, John’s unit threw a big party. He was discharged in 1945 and used the G.I. Bill for college. John reenlisted for the Korean War, but was stationed in Kansas to train new soldiers. More of his story can be found at http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/story/loc.natlib.afc2001001.33471/ 

Thank you for your service, John!

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/.

Contributors:

Graphic designer: Emma Catlett

Editor: Kaylee Hogsed

Fact Checker: Kat Blanchard