Vietnam Veteran John Major
My name is John Major. I joined the army in the middle of the Vietnam War. When the army discovered that I have slight color vision problems, a representative asked if I would join the Army Intelligence. Originally I wanted to be a helicopter pilot or in some airborne position, but becoming a trained intelligence operative was probably a better decision for my health.
I made a three-year commitment with the military in 1964. Two years after my commissioning, I was deployed to Vietnam to locate and free American prisoners of war. I was a Sergeant E5 attached to the 5th Special Forces Group and the 1st Infantry Division.
The Special Forces assignments taught me persistence. My team and I spent most of our time in the field gathering information on American prisoners captured in the south. Getting information on and tracking the Viet Cong were difficult, but the team and I were focused and persistent, we were devoted to the task.
Unfortunately, the prisoners were never surrendered alive, we were unable to accomplish our mission. In the end, we recovered the bodies of three American prisoners and brought some closure to their families.
The service instilled discipline in me. I also gained invaluable insights into human nature from working with a wide range of people. The military taught me to focus and make sure that I always have a plan. These are important life lessons – you have to try and accommodate the curve balls that come at you.
My active duty ended in 1967.
I started my own computer consulting business later in the 1980s. In 2002, my mother was hospitalized and needed more care than the hospital could offer. I discovered the home care industry that offers companionship and personal care in both a hospital and in a home setting at that time. Eventually, I decided to make a career change and introduced Right at Home to the Morris and Union Counties in New Jersey.
Today, my family are my teammates at Right at Home. We focus on the people we serve. I feel lucky to provide a service that is sometimes fun, sometimes sad, but always fulfilling. Our office is approved by the Department of Veteran Affairs and we are proud to be able to serve veterans. I feel that I'm completing a mission to care for the men and women who have served our country.