Volunteers Jack Cahill, Sheryl Gray and I recently delivered furniture to a man named John who lived in a Brockton Housing Authority apartment.

Jack drove the truck while Cheryl navigated. When we arrived, we entered a very small one bedroom apartment without basic furniture to sit on. The kitchen was also sparsely equipped, lacking many common necessities.

John was sitting in a wheelchair next to a very personable lady who introduced herself as Karen, John’s fiancé. They both were very excited to meet us. When John talked, he spoke quickly and sometimes was difficult to understand. When that happened, Karen would explain what he said and she always referred to John as ‘Sergeant.’

While we were unloading the truck, Jack, Cheryl and I agreed there was something unique about John. Despite his physical disability, he was a very positive and happy person. He had an engaging personality and was eager to help move in his new things. In fact, John had Jack give him a big box of dishes which he held in his lap as he powered his wheelchair down the hallway. He raised the heavy box in the air and said, “I’m strong and I can help!”

Karen cautioned him to be careful, but again, there was something about the Sergeant… some special quality about him. He was full of life. When Jack, Cheryl and I were finishing up, we agreed there was a story to be told about John. He was different. He was electric. You wanted to learn more about him. He was special!

While saying our goodbyes, John and Karen were very gracious and grateful. They couldn’t thank us enough. But we had to ask. “John, why does Karen call you Sergeant?”

John finally told us his story: “I served as a medic in the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam, 1960 through 1973.”

We were amazed. “That’s more than a decade! Were you in active duty all that time?”

“No,” said John. “I was in a Prisoner of War camp for 13 years… we para-trooped into a hot zone and I was captured along with 62 others in my platoon. During the firefight, I was shot 38 times by AK47’s and dragged into the prison camp known as The Hanoi Hilton. I was a POW with John McCain.”

“How did you survive so many gunshot wounds?” we asked.

John explained, “I almost didn’t. I almost bled out… the U.S. Army medics in the camp saved my life. Thirteen years later, though, I walked out of there. After I returned to the States, I had many operations to remove bullets near my spine. That’s what left me partially paralyzed. I still have over a pound of lead in me.”

John showed us a bullet wound on his leg. Karen interrupted and said, “He’s a real American Hero…Tell them of the torture you endured, John.”

He explained, “It was terrible. They would put bamboo shoots under my finger nails and then snap them off. They would put me in a locked steel box for a week or longer… all dark, no food and no water… and on other occasions they would beat me relentlessly. Out of the original 63, only 15 of us made it out alive.”

We were in awe of this man and all that he had endured! It was clear to us that it was his faith which carried him through such a difficult time… and God was still watching over him today.

When Cheryl handed John the My Brother’s Keeper crucifix, she explained, “We are only the messengers of God, the delivery people—this is the man who sent you the furniture.”

Karen and John both looked at each other with tears in their eyes. We thanked John for his sacrifice and service to our country and told him, “It has been our honor and privilege to serve you.”