Born and raised in New Jersey, John was drafted into the US Army in 1966. He spent a year training in the US before being shipped to Vietnam for a year in country as part of the First Cavalry, 2nd of the 8th.
After getting home, he spent 25 years as a teacher, during which time he developed a slide show of some of his Vietnam photographs. Students wanted to know the realities of living in the army as an infantry soldier during war. After presenting that show off and on for years, John turned the framework of that initial teaching tool into this book, written without jargon or bravado, an authentic and accessible look at the unglamorous life of a foot soldier.
John resides in Maine with his wife of more than 55 years.