John was just a little over one year old when I married his mother in September’s 1966. I only knew him as Johnny and that is what the entire family called him, Johnny only new one Dad for 11 years and that was me, yes he knew that he had a biological father, but that was not his Dad. Johnny and I had a very close relationship and I loved him as much as any father could love a son. Both of our worlds changed dramatically in 1977 when I was serving an unaccompanied Air Force tour of duty in the country of Turkey. Johnny's mother filed for divorce in December 1977 and had given custody of Johnny to his biological father. One of the worst moments in my life was when I came home on emergency leave to participate in the divorce proceedings and Johnny called me to come pick him up because he wanted to come home. I was helpless and Johnny couldn't understand why his Dad couldn’t come and get him. Our lives were never the same after this event. The memories of our 11 years together will always be in my mind and heart. I loved him dearly.

Johnny was a natural story teller, he could make up and tell long stories without even stopping and thinking about what he was going to say next. When he was about 8 years old, we lived in Denver Colorado and we went back home to Wynne Arkansas to visit our parents and grandparents quite often. On one of our trips back home, we left Denver about 7 PM on a Friday night and Johnny’s mother decided that she would ride in the back seat with our other two children Robin and Chris, his mother let Johnny ride shot-gun with me. Johnny sat in the front seat all night and told me story after story until about 3 AM the next day. Johnny didn’t do well in school due to him being hyperactive, we had him tested and the doctor diagnosed as him being hyperactive, he was given medicine for his condition and the medicine made him lazy and unproductive. Although he didn’t do well in school, he was extremely intelligent and could accomplish things that were incredibly difficult.