#VeteranOfTheDay Army Air Corps Veteran William D. Roxlo

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Air Corps Veteran William D. Roxlo, who served in the Pacific during World War II from 1943 to 1945.

William D. Roxlo, born in Barcelona, Spain, migrated to the United States at the age of 7 years old and resided in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his parents. Despite not being U.S. born, Roxlo always considered himself an American and was proud of this country.

When World War II started, Roxlo was attending Duke University in North Carolina and was pursuing a degree in engineering. However, by 1943, Roxlo and three of his friends decided that they couldn’t just study while a war was happening, so they quit school and joined the U.S. Army Air Corps. That same year, he went to Florida for basic training and moved through different bases around the U.S. before becoming a corporal. He served in Oran and Tinian Island in 1944 where he fought against Japan.

Roxlo left the Air Force after the end of the war in 1945 and returned to North Carolina. He attended Duke University again and finished his degree in engineering. Later, he worked at various companies such as Dupont and Catalytic Construction Company before getting married and having children. Later in life, he worked as a professor at the University of Charlotte until he passed away on Oct. 18, 2010, at 86 years old.

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

Writer: Judith Lara

Editor: Michaela Yesis

Graphic artist: Deanna Cannon