#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran William Conrad Wilson

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran William Conrad Wilson.

Born in 1893, William was described as short, had brown eyes and brown hair. Already balding—a family trait, William had worked for the North Texas and Santa Fe Railroads. He signed his draft papers at the age of 24, alongside his brothers Alac and Orval and cousin, W. Hixon, in June 1917.

William’s military career was immediate. Entering as a private, he was assigned to the 109th Infantry Regiment, 7th Division (later recognized as the 28th Division) in Camp Hancock, Georgia. He deployed with the American Expeditionary Force to France in May 1918. There, he fought in the second Battle of the Marine alongside the French and British forces. He was one of the many Americans who helped hold the offensive front against the German army.

William passed away that summer. While reported originally as missing in action, William is believed to have died in mid-July from his wounds while in the line of duty. His family formally received news of his death a month later, in August. William’s mother never recovered from her son’s death, and is remembered to have torn up his military paperwork in her grief. His young siblings attempted to reconcile the damage, gluing the pieces of their brother’s award onto a stiff piece of paper.

William was buried in the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial in France.

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? 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.

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/.