On the anniversary of the start of the Battle of Kasserine Pass, today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Charles E. Ahring, who was wounded in the battle.
Charles E. Ahring was the fifth of six siblings with four older sisters and one younger brother. In 1942, the Army drafted him.
He went through basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. He then served with the 39th Infantry Regiment, 9th Division in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Ahring’s unit took part in the Allied invasion of North Africa. In February 1943, Ahring’s received a severe wound to his right jaw during the Battle of Kasserine Pass, which left him without the ability to chew. With the help of a fellow American soldier, he evaded German capture. They found refuge with a local farmer, who fed Ahring yogurt through a straw.
After finding his way to an Army field hospital, Ahring transferred back to the United States. He recovered from his wound at an Army hospital in New Jersey, receiving a Purple Heart. The Army discharged him at the rank of private in 1946.
In the late 1940s, Ahring worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He delivered necessary supplies to fight off the plague of grasshoppers threatening crops in the Great Plains. He moved to Denver, Colorado to work for the U.S. General Services Administration until his retirement in 1973.
Ahring died in 2007 in Mesa, Arizona.
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/.
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This is awesome, my name is Steven L Mendez
A United States Marine whom, “over the last three years”
Have battled this invisible enemy that’s been taking the lives of our service members at a rapid rate. That enemy is PTSD/PTS/CPTS. During this time I’ve lost, gained and did it three more time’s again. But the Man I who stands today is much different. I see so much and want to join the fight to bridge the gap of understanding, help educate, and help overcome the condition just like me. Today I’m at 170%, with 100% for PTS and the other 70% for physical. I’ve had the great privilege to have received from VA permanent and total rating and they even wrote a letter of apology. So the mission I have today and have had senses I got out is simple, boots on the ground or better put bridge the gap to bring service members, like me, back around…wait better put
Bring them home
https://twitter.com/DeptVetAffairs?s=20
We honor the service of Charles E. Ahring.