Volunteer Staff

John was born Aril 1 1951 and raised in Azusa Ca. When he was 14 his father died so he quit school and worked full time to help his Mom. On the day he turned 18 , 1969 he signed up for the Navy and 3 weeks later was in boot camp. By July I969 John was aboard his first ship the USS Caliente AO 53 off Yankee Station Viet Nam listening to Armed Forces Radio telling about the landing of the first man 0n the moon. John did three tours on the Caliente between 1969-72 to Viet Nam. The last tour was when the US mined Haiphong Harbor and the Caliente was assigned as the duty oiler. This action by the US is considered to helping the Paris Peace Accord to pass. In Jan 1973 he reenlisted in the Navy and was assigned to D.A.T.C./F.M.A.G. San Diego for two years. His next duty station in Feb 1975 was VA 22 aboard the USS Coral Sea CVA 43. In April 1975 while operating off the coast of Viet Nam ,Saigon fell and the people were fleeing by boats and helicopters. The Coral Sea was one of the ships that bought them aboard. After transporting these civilians to the Philippine Inlands the Coral Sea was transiting back to the U S when in May word came out that a US merchant ship the Mayaquez was seized by the Khmer Rouge forces of Cambodia. VA 22 was assigned to attack and reclaim this ship. This part of the mission was a success. This action is also consider the last actions of the Viet Nam war. In March 1976 John was assigned as the LPO Second Div aboard the USS MT Vernon LSD 39. He was on this ship till deciding not to reenlist in the Navy and was discharged Aug 1977.

In Nov 1977 John and his wife Rebecca who he has been blessed to be married too since Oct 1971 and their three daughter Sarah born 1973 ,Carrie born 1975, Catie born1976, moved to Fresno where he got a job with the Post Office as a mailman. In 1978 John and Rebecca added a son John. In Jan 1979 missing the Navy John joined the Navy Reserves. First here in Fresno then in 1982 SBU X1 in Mare Island Ca. This command he found very rewarding in terms of challenges, and adventures. The training was so realistic with up to date equipment. This command forced him to stay in shape, he even took swimming lesson for two months to learn to swim. In 1990 SBU X1 went to Panama for six weeks after Noriega was removed as the President, patrolling the Panama Canal and various rivers. In Aug 1990 John was recalled to active duty for Operation Desert Shield/ Desert Storm assigned to SBU 12. After a full year of active duty he returned back to the his civilian job as a mailman and too SBUX1. Both in 1993 and 1995 John along with thirty others from SBUX1 were sent to Thailand to train their small boat Navy in riverine warfare in inland waterways bordering neighboring countries. In 1996 after making Master Chief (E9) he became the Command Master Chief of MIUW 103 out of Treasure Island. This command he was deployed three times to the middle east over the next four years. The last one by chance he ran into his son who also joined the Navy and was a CTT on a P3 Orion aircraft. In April 2000 he retired from the Navy with thirty years of service.

John and Rebecca still live in Fresno and he retired from the USPS job as mailman in Aug 2013. In 1987 John earned a B.A. in Liberal Studies from Fresno State, after earning a G.E.D. and a High School diploma while in the Navy.