John B. Henderson

John's story

John, JB as his friends called him, was called to duty in November of 1965. He spent a year at Ft. Riley Kansas in training and a year in Viet Nam at Ft. Bearcat. Ft. Bearcat was built on a site cleared by Agent Orange. JB worked as the company's clerk. Knowing how to type most probably saved his life. When JB returned home, he and his fellow soldiers were told to change into their civilian clothes to avoid confrontation with protesters. There was more shame to it than celebration. In November of 1967 he came home and married his sweetheart, Twila. They had three children. JB worked as a manager for a grocery store, then for a bank and finally for an investment firm. He was a jokester, always stirring things up and making people smile. To know him was to love him. He was always there to help in any way that he could. A few years before he left us, he went on an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., and was given the long due respect that he and all of the men and women deserved. It meant a lot to him to finally feel appreciated. He passed in 2024. He is greatly missed by all who knew him.