Born in Philadelphia, John was the second oldest of 5 children. He had a twin brother who also served in the Army. John joined the Army on July 26, 1937 with the condition that he would not leave the US. He was discharged from the Army on September 9, 1939 and re-enlisted the same day so that he could go to Panama with his unit. In 1944, he was sent to Europe attached to the 2nd Armored Division in charge of heavy machine guns and 37 MM sections. He supervised the activities of 12 men and the tactical emplacement of guns. He fought in Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes, Germany, and Belgium. He met up with his twin brother once on the battlefield. He received the European Defense medal with 5 stars, the American Defense Service Medal, the Bronze Star, the American Service Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Service Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal. After leaving the Army, John married Edna Filling and raised 8 children, 19 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. He was an Atlantic City Police Officer for 30 years where he was named Policeman of the Year in 1958. He was also a carpenter until retiring in 1980.