#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran Philip Frank Lund

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Philip Frank Lund, who served in the 6th Regiment of United States Engineers during World War I.

Philip Frank Lund grew up in Deep River, Connecticut. His father had worked in a company that manufactured tool parts, so Lund was familiar with tools and carpentry from a young age. At the age of 20, he left his hometown to work as a carpenter in Hartford, Connecticut. He later lived in Savannah, Georgia and Palm Beach, Florida.

After the United States entered World War I in January 1917,  Lund wrote a letter to his congressman inquiring how someone with his skill set could be of service in the war. In response, he received a letter from Brig. Gen. W.M. Black, Chief of U.S. Army Engineers, stating that he might best serve his country by joining one of the newly formed engineering regiments. Lund then enlisted with the Army Engineer Corps and served with Company A, 6th Regiment of U.S. Engineers of the American Expeditionary Forces. After receiving training, Lund and his unit went to the Western front in France and eventually made their way forward into Germany.

While serving in the Army, Lund kept a diary in which he recorded the weather and his activities of each day. Lund and his company continued to advance through France and into Germany until the war’s end in November 1918.

During his service, Lund received a Silver Star and Purple Heart.

After returning to the U.S. in August 1919 upon discharged, Lund returned to Florida to work as a carpenter at Palm Florida hotels owned by Henry Flagler, a prominent Palm Beach industrial tycoon. After Flagler’s death, Lund became the partner of Chalker and Lund Construction Company. In the 1930s, Lund left to start his own construction company that built custom homes in Palm Beach and Jupiter Island. Lund passed away in Jupiter, Florida, in 1978.

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: Sarah Concepcion

Editor: Joseph Cardinal

Graphic artist: Whitney A Moore