#VeteranOfTheDay Marine Corps Veteran David James Paxson

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Marine Corps Veteran David James Paxson. David began his service in 1996 and deployed during the Iraq War.

David was born in Pennsylvania and enlisted in the Marine Corps in August 1996. He served as a mechanic, deploying to the Mediterranean and Kosovo during his first tour. In January 2003, David received notice that he would deploy to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom. He completed one month of training at Camp Pendleton, California and landed in Kuwait for additional training before going into Iraq.

David’s unit moved through An Nasiriyah and saw heavy combat throughout their push to Baghdad. David served in Iraq for about six months before returning to the United States to serve at Little Creek Naval Base in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He worked as a constructor and inspector for the Marine Corps Reserves, assisting with reserve training programs. David also worked with the Hampton Roads, Virginia Toys for Tots campaign.

Thank you for your service, David!

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? You’re in luck! 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/.

Graphic By Gavin Fukawa: Gavin Fukawa is a Political Science and International Affairs Major with a Japanese and Environmental Science Minor at Wake Forest University.