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 bachelor of science in secondary art education and a master's in fine arts.  He taught at several schools including the Grant High School District and Hampton Institute, College of Arts & Letters in Hampton, Virginia.  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 the VHP team.  He expanded his talents and volunteered as a NET trainer. The NET class covers disaster preparedness.

With all this going on, John was raising 2 children. 

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 U.S., such as the 2008 Pence Gallery: Cultural Dimensions of African American Artists in Davis, CA.