#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran Chester Ray Rackley

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Chester Ray Rackley, who served from 1946-1966 and received a Purple Heart during the Korean War.

Chester Ray Rackley enlisted in the Army in 1946 and trained at Fort Polk, Louisiana. Between 1948 and 1950, Chester served in South Korea.

Following the outbreak of the Korean War, Rackley returned to Korea with the 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. There, he and his fellow soldiers spent much of their deployment in the front lines. For spending over 30 consecutive days in combat with the enemy, Rackley received the Combat Infantry Badge.

Following the end of the Korean War, Rackley spent time stationed in South Korea, Hawaii and Germany.

While stationed in Germany, Rackley rescued three soldiers from a tank which had caught fire following an accident during a training exercise. For this, he received a Soldier’s Medal.

Rackley retired from the Army in 1966 after 20 years of service. Upon returning to his home state of Texas, he began a career as a carpenter. In 2002, Rackley received a Purple Heart in recognition of injuries he sustained in Korea.

More of his story can be found at: https://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/bib/loc.natlib.afc2001001.15891

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: Ashley Levi

Editor: Adam M. Stump

Graphic artist: Emma Catlett