#VeteranOfTheDay Marine Veteran Christopher M. Delozier

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Marine Corps Veteran Christopher M. Delozier, who served in Al Nasiriya during the Iraq War from 2003 to 2004.

Chris Delozier was born in July 1977 in Germany to parents who had both served in the military. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1998 and served six years. During his enlistment, Delozier had the opportunity to serve in Kosovo as well as Iraq.

Delozier was part of the 2nd Battalion 25th Marine Regiment, a Reserve infantry battalion. During the Iraq War, the Marine Corps called his battalion to active duty. Delozier served in Al Nasiriya, a city located southeast of Baghdad. His primary job was ground level satellite and single channel radio communications. He served as the company radio operator and his executive officer’s radio officer.

Delozier’s assigned radio duties and supplied equipment to Marines. He lived in a tent on a compound that offered few amenities; however, the resourcefulness of Delozier and his comrades helped them to enjoy simple luxuries such as electricity. During his time in Iraq, Delozier had the opportunity to call home once, but communicated with friends and loved ones back home mostly through letters.

Although Delozier was in a combat zone, he said the hardest part of war for him was seeing a different culture and how they lived, as well as the various hostilities that occurred within the culture and the people of Al Nasiriya. Despite these difficulties, Delozier credits small team leadership among his fellow Marines and the leadership of “an incredible commander” with the success of their mission.

You can listen to more of his story at http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/story/loc.natlib.afc2001001.31300/.

Thank you for your 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: Melissa L. Ter Burgh

Editor: Steven Sullivan

Fact checker: Vivian Hurney

Graphic artist: Deanna Cannon