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Veterans and non-veterans both understand the honor and privilege that comes with representing the USA on a national stage.

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is John Kamin.

John enlisted in the Army in 2005 as a 13B Field Artillery and served on active duty until 2008 with one tour in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

He was recalled from the Inactive Reserves in 2010 for his second deployment to Iraq.

John utilized his G.I. Bill benefits and earned his degree from American University in 2012.

He continues to serve in the Army Reserves as a 37F Psychological Operations Specialist.

John is currently an Assistant Director for Veterans Employment & Education Division at American Legion.

Thank you for your service, John!

Three Pearl Harbor survivors and a Pearl Harbor witness share their different, and similar, perspectives of the December 7, 1941 attacks. Everett Hyland, Alfred "Uncle Al" Rodrigues, Sterling Cale, and Jimmy Lee tell us what they experienced.

At 93 years old, Ira Walton shows how keeping fit and active are good for the body, mind and soul. The former Army Chief Warrant Officer served in WWII, Korea and Vietnam and has attended VA's National Veterans Golden Age Games for more than 25 years, winning numerous medals along the way. Walton was one of more than 600 Veterans who participated in the 30th National Veterans Golden Age Games July 10-14 in Detroit. The Games are the largest multi-sport event for senior Veterans in the world, and serve as a qualifying event for the National Senior Games. For more information, visit www.veteransgoldenagegames.va.gov .

MyVA is the largest transformation in VA’s history, changing the way we do business by putting veterans at the center of everything we do. Our transformation has taken root at our medical facilities, regional offices and cemeteries across the nation. And while there is more to do, MyVA has unstoppable momentum.

There is high-speed outreach happening for the VA Palo Alto Healthcare System. The website roadbackhome.org is getting the word out on quality care for Veterans in the Bay area.

To view a Section 508-compliant version of this video visit: http://www.va.gov/opa/feature/amervet...

Affiliations maintained throughout the health care field to take advantage of specialized expertise help VA provide Veterans with comprehensive, patient centered care -- fulfilling VA's commitment to serve those who have served.

On Dec. 8, 1941, President Roosevelt declared, “Yesterday, Dec. 7, 1941— a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked …” He was referring, of course, to the massive attack on our Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

That attack left our nation stunned and shaken. It transformed our country—ending our isolationism, awakening a mighty war machine and economic engine, marking America’s acceptance of world leadership, and reinforcing the invaluable lesson of always being prepared to defend our freedom.

Today, we honor the almost 3,600 Americans killed or wounded at Pearl Harbor 75 years ago. And we remember America’s greatest generation—those who came forward to answer a great challenge: 16 million took up arms in the struggle, while Americans of every age and walk of life contributed to the war effort.

Army Veteran Willie Weaver-Bey showcases the healing power of art at the 2016 National Veterans Creative Arts Festival. The ex-con turned to VA's at-risk and creative arts programs after serving 40 years in prison for drug convictions. Weaver-Bey is one of more than 120 Veterans participating in this year's festival being held in Jackson, Mississippi Oct. 10-16.

Michael "Mike" Fitzmaurice did not want to go to college, so he enlisted in the U.S. Army at the height of the Vietnam War. He reflects on the battle of Khe Sanh, one that let to him being awarded the Medal of Honor. Fitzmaurice retired from VA in 2011, but still volunteers his time at the Sioux Falls VA Medical Center to serve his fellow Veterans.

On December 16, 1944, the Germans launched what is considered their last major offensive of World War II. Just shortly after the Allied force’s successfully invaded Normandy, France, the surprise attack from Hitler’s forces caught them off guard. The battle lasted until January 25, 1945. The United States suffered 19,000 fatalities and more than 89,000 casualties.

In commemoration of the 72nd anniversary of this historic battle of courage and fortitude, we invite you to meet Army Veteran Harry Miller.

Harry served in the Army from 1944 – 1953 during World War II. He first served as a member of a tank crew, then transitioned to a messenger center clerk. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge.

During the battle, the 1st Army Headquarters instructed the tank crews to go down to an ordnance depot and take whatever they needed for the tanks. “We had to take good parts off of one tank and put it on another. We finally got three tanks and a tank destroyer that would operate and run, and had a gun,” he said in an interview with VA. They took the three working tanks and sent them to their C Company. Those three tanks ended up taking out three German tanks, which ended up being members of the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitlerbeing, Hitler’s old body guards.

After World War II, Harry went on to serve in Korea and Vietnam and served enlistments in both the Army and the Air Force.

To listen to Harry’s full account of his service before, during, and shortly after the Battle of Bulge, visit: http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/34683...

More than 100 Veterans participated in the 9th National Veterans Summer Sports Clinic in San Diego, Calif. Sept. 18-23. Participants get the opportunity to try their hand at sailing as well as a variety of other sports.

As Americans, we’re grateful for the countless sacrifices made by our nation’s Veterans. This profound sense of appreciation is expressed in many different ways, in life and death. The Department of Veterans Affairs provides a medallion, by request, to be affixed to an existing, privately purchased headstone or marker to signify the deceased's status as a Veteran. This device is furnished in lieu of a traditional Government headstone or grave marker for those Veterans whose death occurred on or after Nov. 1, 1990, and whose grave in a private cemetery is marked with a privately purchased headstone or marker.

Bronze medallions are durable and can be easily affixed to privately purchased headstones by anyone, avoiding headstone or marker setting fees. The medallion also offers a way to identify the grave as that of a Veteran when a cemetery only allows one headstone per grave, preventing the use of a standard VA marker as a footstone. For more information on Headstones, Markers and Medallions, visit: http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/hmm/index.asp

The National Cemetery Administration recently graduated 13 members of the Cemetery Director Intern Class of 2016. The Cemetery Director Intern Program offers individuals interested in becoming a cemetery director the opportunity to gain the foundational skills needed to start those individuals on their career path.

Read more: http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/30155...

Secretary McDonald provides an update on VA's progress at the opening of the MyVA Advisory Committee meeting.

Read more at: http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/34310...

Seventy-five years after the start of World War II, Filipino Veterans received national recognition when they were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal – the highest civilian honor the United States can bestow.

On Sept. 10, the Honor Flight Columbus organization out of Columbus, Ohio, sent the city’s first all-women Veterans’ Honor Flight to the nation’s capital. There, 81 women—Veterans of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War—visited their respective monuments. Read more at http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/31182...

Army Veteran Grace Wanjie never shot a bow and arrow before participating in the 2016 National Veterans Summer Sports Clinic in San Diego. But with the help of instructors and staff at the Clinic, she discovered a natural ability for the sport. Wanjie was one of more than 100 Veterans to participate in the 9th annual rehabilitation event.

Our digital media team caught up with attendees at the Team USA Awards and they had a message to share to our Veterans.

Members of the U.S. Paralympic team talk about their feelings on adaptive sports and how it has impacted their lives.