#VeteranOfTheDay Navy Veteran Cristie Remmel

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Navy Veteran Cristie Remmel, who served as a corpsman for field Marine force during Operation Desert Storm.

After graduating high school, Cristie Remmel joined the Navy as a hospital corpsman. She attended training at Camp Pendleton in California, before serving alongside the Marines as a combat medic with a field Marine force unit. Remmel deployed to the Persian Gulf for six months. She served on active duty from 1987 to 1991. While serving, she was often known as “Doc Remmel.”

“The Marines taught me perseverance, dedication, humility, passion and commitment,” Remmel said. “They taught me all of the skills I’ve continued to use over and over again no matter what comes my way.”

After leaving the service, Remmel became a stay-at-home mom and received a bachelor’s degree in graphic design as well as a master’s degree in fine arts. She then found her way into serving the Veteran community.

“I became involved in the Veteran community a few years after getting divorced,” she said. “It gave me a sense of purpose and a renewed determination to serve others. Serving the community is serving my country which I will do until the day I die.”

Through the Women Veterans of America, Chapter 48, Remmel is a member of the first all-female Color Guard in Texas. She publicly speaks on topics like patriotism, service and the Constitution at various elementary schools in the area.

Remmel received several awards for her service, including a Fleet Marine Force Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Southwest Asia Service Medal with two bronze service stars and Kuwait Liberation Medal.

In 2018, Remmel designed the logo for Women Veterans Day for the state of Texas. This logo is now being used on June 12 in honor of Women Veterans Day.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Remmel has been focused on building the Dallas Veterans Chamber of Commerce to help Veterans develop the skills necessary to keep their businesses running. To do this, the chamber strives to build a community and be successful. Remmel also organizes bringing in guest speakers to teach Veterans a variety of skills such as business strategies and healthy living.

Remmel also works as the new national chamber development director for the U.S. Veterans Chamber of Commerce headquarters. She said her passion is “to help other Veterans open chambers in their area and have a greater impact at a national level.”

Thank you for your 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. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission.

Contributors

Writer: Savannah Labbe

Editor: Essence McPherson

Fact checker: Enya Lowe

Graphic artist: Michelle Zischke