#VeteranOfTheDay Marine Corps Veteran Richard Apodaca

Marine Corps Veteran Richard Apodaca felt it was his patriotic duty to serve his country.

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Richard Apodaca, who served in Korea during the Korean War.

Richard Apodaca joined the Marines after graduating high school in August 1946. He felt it was his patriotic duty to serve his country, and completed his basic training in El Toro, California.

Prior to deploying to Korea in 1951, Richard trained at Camp Pendleton, in Southern California. He was then sent to Pusan, South Korea, where he joined the Headquarters and Supply Company, 7^th Marine Regiment and 1^st Marine Division. Apodaca spent most of his time in battle along the 38^th parallel, which was the border between North and South Korea during the war. While in battle, he also had the opportunity to serve alongside General Douglas MacArthur. In November 1951, he finished his tour in Korea by working security aboard a transport ship back to California.

Following his return home, Apodaca was discharged from the Marines with the rank of Staff Sergeant. He received the National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal One Star, United Nations Service Medal, Presidential Unit Citation and Republic of Korea War Service Medal. After discharge, Apodaca became a civil service employee for the Department of Defense.

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? 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: Whitney A. Moore

Editor: Kaylee Hogsed

Fact Checker: Shelby Bennett