#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran Lowry Haskell Powell

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Lowry Haskell Powell, who served during World War II and used his GI Bill to complete his college education.

Lowry Powell was born March 3, 1921, in Big Spring, Tennessee. He grew up on a farm with seven sisters and a brother. After graduating high school, he moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he joined the Army in 1942. Having taken business courses after high school, he proved to be a proficient office worker. He held record-keeping jobs in Fort Oglethorpre, Georgia; Camp Hood, Texas; and in Memphis, Tennessee.

Following his service, Powell was honorably discharged in February 1946. But, he chose to stay on as a civilian employee for the remainder of the year. In December 1946, he attended Wesleyan University for two years and finished his four-year degree at Tennessee Tech on the GI Bill. He would go on to work for Dupont in Chattanooga for thirty years while helping his mother and sister maintain the family farm.

During his time in the service, he learned how to work alongside people of different personalities and backgrounds, and made lifelong connections with whom he faithfully remained in contact. In a 2004 interview for the Veterans History Project, Powell expressed a desire to preserve the legacy of those who fought in World War II. He reflected on what it meant for a country’s citizens to make sacrifices together, whether at home or overseas.

You can read more about his story at https://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/bib/loc.natlib.afc2001001.26526.

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: Jenna Robles

Fact checker: Brinsley Eriksen

Graphic artist: Robert McPherson