Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Marine Corps Veteran Robert Estrada.
Robert was excited about joining the Marines right after high school. He served in the Marine Corps for 8 years as an engineer, Marine Corps Martial Arts Program instructor and a Marine Security Guard.
His first station was in Okinawa, Japan where he worked as an engineer. He also deployed in support of a U.N. peacekeeping mission in East Timor, where he witnessed violence erupting. After that he became a Marine Security Guard where he guarded U.S. embassies, including Saudi Arabia.
After Robert left the Marine Corps in 2006, he found transition to civilian life to be difficult. He had to cope with PTSD and his weight got up to 300 pounds. He started seeing a therapist and started CrossFit training.
In 2015, Robert founded Endurance for Veterans to help other Veterans coping with PTSD with the hopes to improve their state of mind through physical fitness. The organization raises money to buy gym memberships and offer discounts at CrossFit facilities throughout the U.S. Endurance for Veterans now partners with 130 CrossFit gyms in the U.S. His next goal is to establish a permanent facility that would offer services free of charge to Veterans.
Thank you for your service, Robert!
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 of the information as you can put together with some good photos. Visit our blog post about nominating for how to create the best submission.
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How do I apply for Veteran of the day. I know that there must be thousands of people out there that want to send in a name or two like myself but don’t know who to send it to
Dennis, you can find our more about how to submit a nomination at http://vaww.blogstest.va.gov/VAntage/28415/contribute-veteran-day/.
To whom it may read try to convince your Senators and Representative contact Veteran Affairs Committee on the House side and the Senate side passed a New Veteran Disabled Benefit Law who is collected 100 percent service connected definitely need to have G4implants by a Cosmetic Dentistry Dentist because their is not one works for a Veteran Medical Center plus their isn’t not one has a contract with Veteran Affairs Admistratation but they have a Private Clinics know how to put in G4implants unfortunately they want all the money upfront but my belief as a Veteran myself can the money should come From the Federal Government so the Disabled Veterans who is collected service connected definitely need to have G4implants get the G4implants for free plus three quarters of the Disabled Veterans who is collected 100 percent service connected definitely need to have G4implants can’t afford to get a loan to get the G4implants also if a Disabled Veterans who is need of G4implants don’t get the G4implants it causes other Health problems issues….as a Concerned Veteran I can’t do it alone Semper Fi
Wait a minute here. I saw Violence, I saw dead people, mangled and diseased soldiers, women, and kids, I was in Vietnam, and I went into the service 28 years before this young man, was medivaced out of Vietnam with permanent damage and a permanent profile to prove. I filed for disability 15 years before he went into the military. I never recovered from my exposure to Agent Orange, and service connection was denied and my records were hidden all my life and still are, even today. WHY? WHY IS THAT? WHY IS IT THAT VIETNAM VETS ARE STILL TREATED LIKE SH!T? Our Evidence is hidden for the span of our life, at least mine was, hiding the fact that I was in Vietnam, Medivaced out with permanent damage, with a skin disease from an unknown source, issued a permanent profile signed by four medical officers after being hospitalized in Vietnam for three weeks, medivaced to two other hospitals for a month total, and never recovered. I was denied treatment, medicine, medical care of any kind, and all C & P benefits. Why? Who was in charge? Anyone? Why was this hidden and still is? Anybody?