#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran John O. Brixey

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran John O. Brixey, who served during World War II, including the Battle of Rhine River.

John Brixey was born in 1925 in Wewoka, Oklahoma. The Army drafted Brixey when he turned 18 years old. He attended basic training at Camp Roberts, California, but his training was cut short due to a need for replacement troops for the Battle of the Bulge.

Brixey then traveled to Fort Meade, Maryland, where he spent two weeks before sailing to England. From England, he traveled to Luxembourg via train to meet up with the 5^th Infantry Division. When Brixey linked up with the 5^th Infantry Division, he took part in the Battle of the Rhine River.

Brixey’s primary role was as a Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) assistant. In this position, he carried ammunition for the BAR and assisted in firing and maintaining the weapon.

His military service also took him to places such as Germany, Czechoslovakia and France. He received the Good Conduct Medal and Combat Infantry Badge.

In 1946, he was honorably discharged from the Army and used his GI Bill to attend San Diego State University. John retired as a junior high school principal and passed away in 2008.

More information about Brixey’s service is at https://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/story/loc.natlib.afc2001001.01602/.

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

Editor: Taryn Gehman

Graphic artist: Emma Catlett