Veteran Dedication and Recognition

Part of my 5000-mile journey will be Veteran recognition. I will be featuring individual Veteran bios and dedicating segments of my journey to each. I welcome you to share these posts in support of the Veterans featured. Together we can highlight military service members and raise awareness and funds for the outreach a VFW post can provide to Veterans, their families and the communities where they live. Thank you for helping me honor and show appreciation to these heroes.

Following is a military bio for the Commander of Post 7012, John Smith…AKA, Capt. Jack. This dedication was featured in my 1000 mile running challenge in 2023 but was worth repeating because…

1. Capt. Jack has been the backbone of Post 7012 throughout all its troubles the past few years and deserves repeated recognition.

2. Because it provides a sample of what information to include if you wish to submit a Veteran bio to be featured. For more information contact me at newfreedomvfw@yahoo.com

Jack was drafted for military service on 8/11/1967 and enlisted on 9/5/1967. He completed his basic training at Fort Dix, NJ and advanced training at Fort Gordon, GA. He arrived in Vietnam in March of 1968. 

While most Americans were enjoying Super Bowl III between the New York Jets and Baltimore Colts on January 12th, 1969, Jack was experiencing significant action in Vietnam. That day his unit was heavily involved in a conflict that resulted in 8 killed in action and 28 wounded. Also lost we’re 4 CH47 Chinooks, 2 UHI-1s and 1 Cobra. 

Jack received a 1 month leave in April of 69 and returned home. During that leave he began dating Judy. His tour in Vietnam ended in November of 1969 and he reported to Fort Hood Texas for most of 1970. In June of that year, Jack and Judy were engaged. They married on November 14th before he was sent to Okinawa, Japan. He returned in September of 1971. Jack’s official discharge from the Army occurred in 1973. 

In 1975, he enlisted with the National Guard and was commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant in May of 1977. He was active duty until 1980 and reserve until 1990 when he retired. 

Jack and Judy are married 52 years and have 2 children and 3 Grandchildren. You can find Jack nearly every day at Post 7012, in the office at his command station or in the canteen telling stories, dining, or even singing karaoke on a Saturday night. Thank you, Captain Jack, for your heart, dedication and service to your country, Post 7012 and the New Freedom Community.