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How did a veteran who served in the Special Forces in Viet Nam,a Master of Fine Arts, a single father dedicate himself to community service?
John enlisted in January of 1966 and was deployed to Viet Nam on August 18, 1966. He was recruited by the Special Forces, Project Delta. The mission of Project Delta was to conduct special reconnaissance missions in corps areas.
He became the first African/American advisor for the Military
Assistance Command-Viet Nam, [MAC-V Recondo School].
Special Forces also supported civilian populations in a war zone.
John completed 14 missions when the survival rate was 8 missions.
After an arduous 2 years in Viet Nam, he came home. To honor his
best friend and fellow Green Beret, Michael Joseph who was killed
April 1968, John wrote the dedication plaque for Michael that is displayed at the W Street YMCA - “He volunteered for a mission
and paid the ultimate price”. Memorial Day reinforces John’s dedication to serving our country and is a very tough day for him.
Upon discharge from the service, John continued his education
earning a BS in Secondary Art Education and a Master in Fine Arts (MFA). He taught at several schools including the Grant High School District and Hampton Institute, College of Arts & Letters in Hampton, Va. As a Case Manager for the Mather Community Campus In Sacramento, John initiated a Resident Council and Community Garden.
John’s commitment to community service led him to become fully involved with the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP),
Veterans History Project (VHP) and Neighborhood Emergency
Training (NET). The VHP interviews war veterans and collects their experiences which are submitted to the Library of Congress (LOC) in Washington, D.C. After attending an event hosted by RSVP/VHP,
with guest speaker, Congresswoman Doris O. Matsui, John was interviewed and joined our VHP team. He expanded his talents and volunteers as a NET trainer. The NET class covers disaster preparedness.
With all this going on, John is a single dad, raising 2 children
(11 and 17).
How John finds time for his artistic endeavors is amazing. His success
is in oil painting visionary art. His art has been displayed at various
galleries throughout the USA and will be presented at the Pence
Gallery, 212 D Street, Davis, CA on July 29th through August 22nd, 2008. The title of the show is Cultural Dimensions of
African/American Artists.
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If you would like more information on the Veterans History Project, please call (916) 875-4460.
For information on RSVP, call (916) 875-3631.
RSVP Sacramento is a Senior Corps program grant funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service. The Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance sponsors RSVP Sacramento. |
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