Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Arthur Bridges. Bridges served with the Army Signal Corps as a mechanic in the Korean War.
Arthur Bridges was born in 1929 in Evansville, Ind., and was drafted into the Army in 1951. Prior to the Army, he worked on a farm and was also a fireman on a steam locomotive. After he was drafted, he was assigned to the Army Signal Corps as part of the 304th Signal Operation Battalion as a mechanic.
Bridges graduated top of his class at mechanic school at Fort Polk, La.. While on maneuvers at Fort Hood, Texas, Bridges received orders to deploy. He boarded the USS Freeman and shipped to Pusan, Korea. His unit’s job was to supply communications between the Eighth Army Headquarters and division headquarters of units in the field.
When asked about his military service during Vietnam, Bridges said, “It was probably the most honorable and best thing I ever did in my life.”
During his service, Bridges was awarded the Korean Service Medal with one bronze star and the United Nations Service Medal. Arthur was honorably discharged from the Army in 1952. He passed away in 2007.
We honor his 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. 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/.
Contributors
Graphic artist: Tenzin Chomphel
Editor: Ifeoma Ikedionwu
Fact Checker: Jordan Gossett
Topics in this story
More Stories
This week’s Honoring Veterans Spotlight honors the service of Navy Veteran Ken Mattingly, who served as a pilot during the 1950s and later became an astronaut during the Apollo missions.
This week’s Honoring Veterans Spotlight honors the service of Air Force Veteran Gavino Cavazos, who served from 1949 to 1973 during both the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
This week’s Honoring Veterans Spotlight honors the service of Army Veteran Howard Brown, who served during the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1969 and the Gulf War from 1969 to 1992.
We honor the service of Arthur Bridges.