#VeteranOfTheDay Marine Corps Veteran Ronald E. Tatum

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Marine Corps Veteran Ronald E. Tatum. Ronald served from 1954-1972.

Ronald was born and raised in Tacoma, WA. He joined the Navy Reserve out of high school and later joined the Marine Corps. During his time in Marine Corps Recruit Training, Ronald set records for the physical fitness test.

As a Marine, Ronald earned the rank of major and served as an instructor for the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center in the Sierra Mountains. There he trained his fellow Marines in rock climbing, skiing and other fields to prepare for possible conflicts in mountainous terrain. In addition to his time in the states, Ronald also spent a year and a half stationed in Japan.

Ronald continued to serve in the Marine Reserves while pursuing several degrees and qualifications, including master’s degrees in literature, theology and psychology.

After pursuing many different careers, including as a juvenile probation counselor, a stock market investor and a humanities dean, Ronald finally settled on working as a horseshoer in Oregon. Ronald stayed in touch with his fellow Marine and longtime NewsHour anchor, Jim Lehrer, and with his support published a memoir, Confessions of a Horseshoer, in 2012.

More of his story can be found at: http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/bib/loc.natlib.afc2001001.81103

Thank you for your service, Ronald!

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 Aisha Han