Former Gunners Mate Chief Petty Officer John Ruddick, a 1964 graduate of Pea Ridge High School and a Vietnam War veteran, was the grand marshal of the 2019 Veterans Parade.
Ruddick was born in Ventura, Calif., to Harry "Chuck" Ruddick and Pauline Ruddick and moved to Pea Ridge when he was an infant. He was part of the first football team that Pea Ridge had in the 1963‐'64 school year and was the team captain of the football team. During the homecoming game that year, he crowned Sue Walker as homecoming queen. The two later married.
"The support of this community makes it so easy," Ruddick said. "When I came back from Vietnam, I never felt any disassociation. It makes a difference in your outlook and how you get back into society."
Ruddick said too often we take family for granted, but family support is extremely important. He said his father wrote to him regularly when he was deployed and his mother sent him pound cakes.
Joining the Navy and traveling changed his perspective.
"I was a red neck and met guys from New Jersey, New York," he said. "We'd sit around and talk for hours."
He said that taught him that people can have differences and talk about them honestly and still get along.
"It changed my outloook on life," he said, adding that the example set by other veterans, especially his father-in-law, Russell Walker, a World War II veteran, encouraged him.
Both he and his wife, Sue, said the veterans parade and assemblies are encouraging to see veterans and younger military personnel who are willing to serve.
"We need people who believe in what they do," he said.
Ruddick joined the U.S. Navy in February of 1967, went to San Diego, Calif., for basic training, then flew to Great Lakes, Ill., to attend his "A" school for Gunners Mate. After "A" school, he was assigned to the USS Goldsborough DDG‐20 that was based out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The USS Goldsborough took part in 'Operation Sea Dragon' where the ship and its crew were to interdict the North Vietnamese supply lines into the Republic of Vietnam. John's ship provided gunfire and missile fire (nearly 10,000 rounds) along the DMZ in support of the US
In October of 1968, Ruddick transferred to the "Brown Water Navy" and served with RIVRON‐15 (River Assault Squardron‐15). He was stationed out of Nha Be and would do river patrols on the small gun boats. John was an expert with the armament, or guns and on‐board flamethrowers, he oversaw all the munitions on the small boat.
In 1970, Ruddick finally left Vietnam and returned to Arkansas where he continued to be a part of the US Navy Reserve unit MIUWU (Mobile Inshore Undersea Warfare Unit) out of Oklahoma. He retired as GMCPO in 1999 -- after 24 years of service (three years in the regular Navy, 21 in the Reserve). During his military service, he was awarded the Purple Heart, the Navy Commendation medial with combat device "V" and the Combat Action Ribbon.
In 1975, John began working for the Post Office as a mail carrier out of Rogers. He served a total of 37 years with the Post Office, and retired in 2012.
Today, he lives near Centerton and works as a realtor for Weichert Realty. He is an active member of the VFW Wood‐Hall Post 8109 where he currently serves the post quartermaster.
General News on 11/13/2019