Biography of John Stoeber by Cooper Michael Herrman, Collin Troy Falloon, and Logan John Helzer
“Freedom means to go where you want or do what you want without being pressured by anyone.” These words were spoken by John Stoeber, a man who decided he needed to help his country, so he enlisted. John served several years in a branch of the Navy called the Seabees during the Vietnam War.
John Stoeber has lived an interesting life. John was born in 1949 in Beloit, Kansas. Although he was born in Beloit, he grew up in the nearby town of Cawker City. His family was small; he grew up with his father, his mother, and his sister. In his youth, John lived near the river, so he could do all sorts of activities. Growing up, he also enjoyed fishing, hunting, and playing baseball with his friends.
When John was in school, he enjoyed certain classes more than others. He stated that he was "an average student, not a troublemaker, but not a saint either."
John attended elementary and high school in Cawker City. Just before his senior year, his family moved to Jewell when their farm was determined to be part of where the Glen Elder Lake was to be built. He graduated from Jewell High School in 1967.
John attended the North Central Kansas Area Vo-Tech school in Beloit and received a degree in cabinetmaking and carpentry. John was nineteen years of age when he joined the military in 1969. John enlisted in the Seabees because he enjoyed carpentry and wanted to join a branch of the military where he could use his skills and also learn more about something he was interested in.
John completed his basic training at Gulfport, Mississippi. Then he was stationed at two different bases in California. The first one was Miramar, California, where he stayed until his tour to Vietnam. Then he came back to the states and was at Port Huneneme, California, until he was sent for a tour to a military base at Adak, Alaska. His tours to Vietnam and Alaska were over a two-and-half-year time span.
During his service, John regularly wrote to his parents and his wife. The military conditions were not always good. The food was not great, but it was average for the Navy. “The rules were to get up and do your job or else get in trouble,” remarked John. John's commanding officers were strict but fair.
The Seabees’ job was to do repairs and construction for whatever the Navy needed to be done. He was supervisor of the carpentry shop in Chu Lai, Vietnam. The work hours depended on what job they had and how well they were accomplishing it. John was issued normal camouflage uniforms to wear for normal working days and a set of white and a set of navy-colored uniforms to wear for dress. The sailors slept in barracks.
When John served in Vietnam, he said it was stressful at times and that he did not think conflict was going to be so difficult. John did not exactly know how far away he was from the enemy lines, but they were always ready, just in case. He was involved in military situations, and he knew the war conditions were not very good. John also had contact with the civilians in Vietnam, and he said they were nice and welcoming to the U. S. sailors. The weather in Vietnam was very warm, which was average for Vietnam.
One of John's happier experiences occurred when he and the other sailors in Alaska went fishing and then got together to cook the fish. They sometimes went to the docks when the crab boats came in and bought king crab legs to cook. The mess hall furnished other food to go with the crab. It was very cold in Alaska, but average for Alaska. The hours of daylight were very different and hard to adjust to.
John felt that he "had done something good" when his tour ended. He made some good friends in the military and still remains in touch with some of them.
John was discharged in 1971, and when he returned home, his family and friends had a homecoming party to welcome him back. John was happy to be home but also glad that he had the experiences that he did. After John was discharged, he lived in Jewell with his wife and children. He opened his own carpenter shop and worked as a cabinet maker and carpenter for over thirty-five years. He later retired from carpentry but still farms.
John and Diana have four children: Michelle, Mike, Sam, and Josh. They all live fairly close to Jewell. They now have ten grandchildren and one great-grandchild. They also have several step-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren. Today John belongs to the Chamber, the VFW, and the American Legion. John enjoys fishing and hunting in his leisure.
