#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran Julius W. Becton Jr

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Julius W. Becton Jr. Julius served during World War II, the Korean War, and Vietnam War.

Julius was born in 1926 in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Julius was the son of a janitor and joined the Army Air Corps in 1944. In 1945, he graduated from Officer Candidate School and was assigned to the racially segregated 369^th Infantry Regiment of the 93^rd Infantry Division in Morotai Island. During this tour, Julius also served in the Phillippe’s.

In 1947, Julius left the Army and returned to Allentown, Pennsylvania where he was a student at Muhlenberg College and married Louise Thornton. In 1948, he was recalled to active duty into the Signal Corps and assigned to Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. When he returned to active duty, the military had been desegregated.

In 1950, he deployed for the Korean War where he served as a platoon leader for L Company of the 9^th Infantry Regiment. During his time in the Korean War, Julius was wounded in action

Julius also served in the Vietnam War as part of the 101^st Airborne Division. Throughout his military career, Julius attended Prairie View Agricultural and Mechanical University, the US Army Command & General Staff College, the Armed Forces Staff College, University of Maryland, and the National War College. He eventually rose to the rank of lieutenant general and during the pinnacle of his career, he commanded the VII Corps, US Army Europe in Germany.

In 1983, he retired from the Army. As a civilian, he served as the Director of the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance in the United States Agency for International Development (US AID), and as the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in which he was appointed by President Ronald Reagan.

During his service in the Army, Julius was awarded the Army Distinguished Service Medal, two Silver Stars, two Legion of Merits, the Distinguished Flying Cross, two Bronze Stars, two Air Medals with valor, two Army Commendation Medals, and two Purple Hearts.

Thank you for your service, Julius!

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 Tenzin Chomphel. Tenzin is an undergraduate junior at the University of California, San Diego, studying International Politics.