 After graduation, John moved to California, and that is where he met his future wife, Darlene, and they would go on to be married happily for 49 years. In 1967, at the age of 19, John entered the army and was sent to Vietnam. He did not need to go because he was his mother's only son, but he wanted to fight for God and country. He was driving a personnel carrier and was alone inside the driver's compartment.