#VeteranOfTheDay Marine Veteran Saul P. Arsht

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Marine Veteran Saul P. Arsht, who served as an aircraft log clerk at Marine Station K-6 during the Korean War.

The Marine Corps drafted Saul Arsht in 1951, shortly after he finished college at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Arsht swore into the Marine Corps in Detroit. He then went to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, California, for boot camp.

The Marine Corps first assigned Arsht as an airborne radio operator, but the specialty training did not start for two weeks so instead he attended clerk typist school. Arsht then served at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California, as an aircraft log clerk. He then served with Marine Air Group 25. Arsht worked in the engineering department, where he kept logbooks on the aircraft and typed up various documents.

In November 1952, Arsht deployed to Korea. His unit first arrived in Yokohama, Japan, before continuing on to Marine Station K-6 (now called Camp Humphreys) near Pyeongtaek. There, Arsht served primarily as a typist, occasionally serving mess hall and guard duty. One of the most memorable parts of deployment for Arsht was when he had R&R days, in which he could travel to Japan. He toured historic sites and even saw one of the first commercial passenger jets.

After completing his tour, Arsht went to Naval Station Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay, California, where he discharged shortly after. During his service, Arsht received a United Nations Korea Medal and a Korean War Service Medal.

Arsht was glad to be home and felt that Americans respected the troops; however, it took him a while to feel like a civilian again after being part of a military unit for two years.

More of his story can be found at http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/bib/loc.natlib.afc2001001.57240

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: Isabel Nulter 

Editor: Kailey Miller 

Fact checker: Brittany Hawn

Graphic artist: Annika Manlutac