For Veterans Day this November, JKV honors all 170+ retired military residents.  Here is one Veteran resident’s story and why he loves where he lives.  

Bill Sullivan was drafted in 1969 and reported for induction at the Armed Forces Entrance and Examination Station (AFEES) in Jacksonville, Florida, just as Neil Armstrong took humanity’s first steps on the moon. He began basic training as a Private E-1 at Fort Dix, New Jersey, and nine weeks later received his commission as a Reserve Army Captain in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAGC).

Bill continued his training with a two-week officer orientation course at Fort Lee, Virginia, followed by the two-month JAG Basic Course at the University of Virginia. After graduating on Christmas 1969, he received orders to report to Fort Riley, Kansas, in January 1970.

At Fort Riley, Bill worked for a colonel he greatly respected. When the colonel was reassigned to Army Headquarters in Okinawa, then a U.S. protectorate, Bill requested a transfer to join the colonel there. His request was granted a few months later. Bill and his wife, Judy, welcomed their first child at Fort Riley. When Judy joined him in Okinawa, she was pregnant with their second daughter, who was born a month later.

One of Bill’s most memorable assignments was serving on the Army Homecoming Team during Operation Homecoming at Clark Air Base in the Philippines, from January through April 1973. With hostilities in Vietnam ending, American prisoners of war were being repatriated. Many arrived at Clark for debriefing before continuing to Germany and then the United States.

The Army assembled a team of doctors, social workers, chaplains, attorneys, and finance officers to help the returning servicemen address their questions and concerns. Bill vividly remembers standing on the tarmac as Air Force transports landed and the men descended the boarding ramps. “There wasn’t a dry eye in the house,” he recalls.

Years later, he witnessed a similar emotional homecoming while standing on the tarmac at Hunter Army Airfield in South Carolina, as troops returned after the first Gulf War.

Okinawa was Bill’s final active-duty assignment. After leaving active duty in 1974, he and Judy moved to Lighthouse Point, Florida, with their two young daughters. Both were South Florida natives — Bill from Miami and Judy from Coral Gables — and were eager to return home. That same year, Bill began practicing law with his fraternity brother, Peter Portley. Their professional partnership continued until both retired in 2020.

Bill served on active duty from 1969 to 1974 and wisely remained in the Active Reserve, ultimately retiring as a colonel in 1997.

Reflecting on his military service, Bill says, “I always smile when someone thanks me for my service because I truly feel that I got more than I gave. Judy and I loved the culture of the military community. We made so many great friends and shared so many wonderful experiences. There is a camaraderie in military service that is hard to explain unless you’ve experienced it. We both loved it and will always cherish the memories.”

Today, Bill feels right at home at John Knox Village (JKV), surrounded by fellow veterans and heroes. He and Judy will celebrate their third anniversary as JKV residents this February. He explains:

“JKV embodies the spirit and charm of the close-knit small town we came to love during our 50 years in Lighthouse Point, along with the inclusive, caring, and giving culture we experienced and cherished in military life. We both agree that moving to JKV was one of the best decisions we’ve made in our 59-year partnership.”

 

John Knox Village (JKV)

For almost 60 years, JKV has set the bar when it comes to delivering an all-inclusive resort lifestyle designed for living life to the fullest at each stage of retirement. JKV emphasizes fitness and overall well-being with world-class programming, state-of-the-art amenities, healthy and delicious dining, and much more. Residents are entitled to unlimited use of healthcare services and 24/7 healthcare professionals on campus. There are no time or financial limits on the long-term care benefits that residents receive, regardless of the level of care required. Simply put, a life plan agreement at JKV provides a fiscal safety net with an unparalleled community geared to a wide range of needs, whatever the road ahead brings.

Want to learn more about what John Knox Village has to offer? Contact us today or call (954) 783-4040 to take a tour, or for a no-pressure conversation with one of our Life Plan Consultants.