Richard's Coffee Shop - Veteran Spotlight
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John Kirkman: The Rest of the Story.
John had excelled at math on his exams and so upon completion of boot camp he was sent to Naval “A” School in Norfolk, VA for training as a Communications Yeoman. John's first assignment was to Adak, Alaska where he would serve 13 months working with the P3 Orions (sub-hunters). As with any branch of the military, John was assigned as a radio operator not as a Communications Yeoman the job for which he had been trained.
While serving in California John had met and married Jan Graves of Chatsworth. He also had taken the exam for the Post Office and soon after his discharge accepted a position. Shortly after the birth of their first child Jan and John decided to return to North Carolina in order to raise their family in the South. John would retire from the Post Office after 32 years.
Thanks John for your service to our country and to the Coffee Shop. |
John was born in October, 1949 in Mt. Ulla and grew up in the rural countryside of North Carolina. In 1968 he graduated from South Rowan High School and took a job on the third shift at Swink Mill. Up until that time John had traveled no further than the mountains and Myrtle Beach. However, being a bright young man it only took one month at the mill to realize that this was not the life he wanted. He talked to the Navy Recruiter, took the test, and off he went to San Diego and his first trip on an airplane. He entered boot camp in August, 1968.
Upon completion of his tour in Alaska, John returned to California for Leadership School and from there was assigned to NAS Agana, Guam. For the next 17 months he continued to work in communications. With his tour completed he was re-assigned to Port Hueneme, CA where he was discharged in September, 1972.
Many mornings in the Coffee Shop you will find John behind the counter helping Cheryl Ann make coffee and talking to the vets. In 1984 while delivering the mail in downtown Mooresville John met Richard Warren. Richard was preparing to open Pat's Gourmet Coffee Shop. In the beginning Pat, Richard's wife, ran the Coffee Shop and Richard worked another job. However things did not work out and Richard took over the Coffee Shop. Sometime during the first few years Richard had started to talk to two Army vets on the internet and one day they decided to stop by and meet him, it just happened to be on Thursday. The two vets were Ron Evans and Ed Furr and after coming by they decided to come back the next Thursday. Over time more vets started to come in and Richard began to put out one table for the guys to bring military memorabilia. As the numbers increased it became difficult to keep track. John had an idea. He went to a local office supply store and purchased a book for the veterans to sign. That was the beginning of the “Book of Honor” which most of you have signed. There are over 8,000 veterans who have visited the Coffee Shop and signed in.