The story of Marine Corps veteran John Nelson is one of many inspiring messages and lessons. He was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut before moving to Milford when he was five. When he was young, he went to school solely for the purpose of playing sports. 

After working at a factory with his father, he decided to join the military. He originally wanted to join the Army like his grandfathers, but he was told he was too short. He decided his next step was to enlist in the Marines, where he was told that his height didn’t matter and that he was needed.

“Graduating from boot camp and earning my Eagle, Globe, and Anchor was the greatest accomplishment in my life. What they do in boot camp is try to break you down until you aren’t even human anymore; you are worth nothing and then they slowly start building you back up,” Nelson states. 

Marine Boot Camp was 13 weeks long. Throughout his experience, he learned to overcome his fears and gained confidence in his abilities. 

“That was my proudest moment. I knew in my heart there was nothing I couldn’t do,” he reveals.

During his time in the Marines, he served two tours in Vietnam. One of them was in the Battle of Da Neng, while the other was in the siege of Khe Sanh. During the Tet Offensive, the United States base was under attack. He was trapped without supplies for 77 days, and his life was threatened multiple times. 

Nelson states, “The Vietnamese were right above us, and they were surrounding us. If we did not have air power, I would not be here today.”

After serving in the military, he attended college and received credits from the University of Connecticut and the University of Bridgeport. After this, he asked for a job as a teacher.

He became a teacher at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. He taught PE and Health at all levels, and coached wrestling, basketball, and track. Additionally, he was a college football coach at the University of Massachusetts, Brown University, and the University of New Haven.

He also coached the University of Massachusetts Minutemen to win the National Championship in 1998.

Nelson retired in 2007, and his legacy is still felt across the Milford community to this day. He leaves lots of memories and guidance for future generations of students.

Nelson states, “Just believe in yourself. Every night, it gets dark but there is always a light at dawn when the sun comes up. There will be a sunrise tomorrow, you can do this.”