#VeteranOfTheDay Army Air Force Veteran Richard S. Hackney

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Air Force Veteran Richard S. Hackney. Richard served from 1942 to 1945 during World War II.

Richard completed basic training in St. Petersburg, Florida before attending radio school at Scott Field Air Force Base in Illinois. He later attended gunnery school in Harlingen, Texas. Richard was stationed in Europe with the 15th Air Force where he flew bombing missions out of Manduria, Italy.

In June 1944, Richard’s aircraft was shot down by German forces. He jumped from the aircraft and deployed his parachute but badly twisted his ankle upon landing. Richard and his crew were captured by Romanian soldiers and brought to a prisoner of war camp in Bucharest, Romania. The prisoners were given little food but were treated relatively well by the Romanian troops. In August 1944, word reached Bucharest that the Russians were coming and the Nazis were pulling out. Richard was put aboard a B-17 and brought to Naples, Italy before going back to the U.S.

After his service, Richard completed art school and became an illustrator.

Thank you for your service, Richard!

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.