John was drafted into the Army on October 13, 1944. He was sent to Camp Fannin, Tyler Texas for Basic Infantry Training. From Tyler, Texas, he was stationed at Fort Ord in California. John was then shipped to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater. He was assigned to the 32nd Division, 128th Infantry Regiment, Company K. While in the 128th Infantry Division he was stationed in the Philippines. While in the Philippines John endured leech infested waters, suffered malaria and was also wounded, thus receiving his Purple Heart. He served as a Company K Sergeant. In the fall of 1945 he was sent from the Philippines to Japan for Occupational Duty. John's regiment was one of the first to land in Japan. He recalls riding the Troop Train through the war-torn cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Besides the Purple Heart, he received the following awards: Bronze Star, Asiatic-Pacific Theatre Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, Presidential Situation Medal, and the Philippines Liberation Ribbon. John was discharged from the Army in December 1946. After the service, John returned to Kansas to follow in his father's footsteps and became a Santa Fe Depot Agent, a job from which he held for many years and then retired.