#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran Benjamin Alvarado

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Benjamin Alvarado, who served from 1943-1945 as an infantryman for General George S. Patton’s Third Army.

Benjamin Alvarado was born in 1924 in Argentine, Kansas, a neighborhood inside of Kansas City. Raised alongside his two siblings by his aunt and uncle after his parents’ deaths, the Army drafted him in 1943. He served in the 317^th Infantry Regiment of the 80^th Infantry Division.

Alvarado took part in the allied invasion of Normandy, France. Having landed on Omaha Beach in the second wave, Alvarado witnessed firsthand the brutal fighting that allowed allied forces to advance further into Germany-occupied France. While in St. Genevieve, France, Alvarado and his three comrades took cover and hid from shelling in a farmhouse. Following the shelling, heavily armed German soldiers occupied the farmhouse that Alvarado and his comrades took cover in. This forced them to take desperate measures to ensure their personal safety, hiding in animal manure for three days.

Alvarado sustained shrapnel related injuries in a battle near Moivron, France on September 26, 1944. Following his recovery in England, Alvarado served in the non-combative 129^th Military Police in Germany until the end of the War. In the duration of his service, Alvarado received a Bronze Star Medal, a Purple Heart Medal and several campaign medals

Alvarado returned to civilian life to have a long and loving marriage, a successful career in advertising and a renewed interest in his personal faith. He passed away peacefully in the company of his wife on Jan. 26, 2015.

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: Andrew Manon

Editor: Kara Anderson

Fact checker: Shweta Rao

Graphic artist: Deanna Cannon