Today’s Star Spangled Salute honors Veteran U.S. Navy Chief John Morley. Healing through helping others is what John is all about these days. John suffered a life changing injury while deployed in Iraq in 2006. A hard emotional journey, a Bronze Star and Purple Heart later, John found help and purpose through Semper Fi & America’s Fund. The nonprofit provides lifetime financial and emotional support to critically wounded, ill and injured service members, veterans and military families. John went on to find work as an explosives specialist for the Department of Homeland Security, and transferred back home to Boston. He was there for about 2 years, and then the Boston Marathon bombing happened. In the days that followed John saw other Veterans talking to and comforting the survivors of the bombing and something in him clicked. John believes helping others ultimately turned into the best way for him to heal. “Being an EOD tech in the Navy, there’s a purpose, and when it was taken away from me, that purpose kind of left,” Morley said. “It took me some time to be able to really find out who I was. And the fund, helping me and allowing me to give back, to mentor, is really the purpose I was looking for.” Thank you John for being a helper and THANK YOU for your service.
