#VeteranOfTheDay Army Air Corps Veteran James A. Humbert

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Air Corps Veteran James A. Humbert. James served from 1943 to 1945 during World War II.

James discussed his career with the Veteran’s History Project. He was born on January 27, 1925 in Ohio. Before being drafted into the Army Air Corps 1943, James was a cadet at the Kentucky Military Institute and spent one semester at the Citadel. He completed basic training in St. Petersburg, Florida and further training in Denver, Las Vegas, and Rapid City, South Dakota. While in the Air Corps, his father served as an Army major in the Aleutian Islands.

James was assigned to Bangor, Maine and East Anglia, England, where he flew 35 combat missions as a bombardier and was primarily tasked with bombing enemy oil plants. During their time in England, James’ group lost 93 aircrafts. One time, James passed out after his oxygen hose became disconnected from the main supply hose, but a gunner on crew was able to reconnect it and revive him.

After the war, James joined the Air Force Reserves and graduated from the University of Louisville. He completed two semesters of law school and worked with the military as a trial counsel officer for court martial cases when he was again called for active duty. Following his retirement from the military, James worked as a news reporter and for the Indiana State Employment service before retiring in 1987.

Thank you for your service, James!

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 Lilian Vo: Lilian Vo is an undergraduate senior at George Mason University studying Global Affairs and Intelligence Analysis.