John is a native of North Carolina. He joined the United States Army in October 1986 with basic training at Fort Jackson South Carolina and AIT at Fort McClellan Alabama. He served with the 805th Military Police Company, an Army Reserve unit stationed in Raleigh. The unit was deployed in September 1990 for Operation Desert Shield/ Desert Storm. He served in Saudi Arabia and Iraq. He primarily served as a Chemical Operations Specialist but also served as an MP for convoy escorts and military supply route patrol. He left the Army in 1994.

John lives in Raleigh with his wife Laura. He has 2 grown children, Erin who is married and lives in Charlotte with her husband Joe, and Jackson who lives in Raleigh. John works for Mechtell, a small company which provides professional engineering services to the power generation sector and works part time at his church. His good friend, Charlie Cable invited him to join the VFW. He enjoys working with the dedicated members of VFW Post 8466 and cherishes the friendships he has made along the way.