For 91-year-old Chuck Johnson, his life is now a history lesson for many of the young people he meets today.
"I just spoke at a school not that long ago and so many of these kids, when I say Korea or Vietnam, they just have no idea where these places are on the map, let alone what happened there during the war."
Chuck is a U.S. Army veteran who served over 20 years during both the Korean and Vietnam Wars. He was also the recipient of two Purple Hearts.
The Southern California native was only 16 years old when he enlisted. Today, he's spending much of his time in retirement in Southern Nevada sharing with young people the experiences he went through on the frontline, including being captured by two enemy soldiers while fighting for the U.S. military forces in Korea.
These stories of courage and sacrifice echo throughout the hallways at the Cactus Valley Retirement Community in Henderson, where Johnson now lives at the. He was one of the first residents to move into this luxury 55-plus community off St. Rose Parkway when it first opened its doors in 2019.
"We are so lucky to have people like Johnson and the other residents who once proudly served our country, here in our community," said Joyce McBride. She is one of the live-in resident managers at Cactus Valley Retirement Community. She and her husband moved to Southern Nevada from Savannah, Georgia earlier this year to work for the community. She said she was sold right away when she first came here and knew she wanted to be part of this special place.
"This community truly reminds me a lot of where we came from. People are so nice and welcoming. And it's not just the staff but all our residents.”
Joyce said she and her husband both grew up in military families, so they are especially proud to have a number of veterans who call Cactus Valley home.
"They bring so much to our community, and we make sure, as with all of our residents, they are getting 5-star service while they are here with us.”
Joyce said another veteran who has been an inspiration to her and her team is 84-year-old Raymond Dukes, Sr. A veteran of the U.S. Air Force for over 30 years, he was deployed all over the world including places like Italy, Thailand, Vietnam, and Korea. But he said one of the most memorable experiences he had during his career was right here in the Las Vegas Valley.
"It was back in the 70’s when I was assigned here to Nellis Air Force Base," said Raymond. “That's when we saw the start of the civil rights counseling program. I got involved because I believe if things are going to get right, you have to get involved. I loved that I got to counsel the younger guys. I spoke my mind and if I saw something that I didn't agree with, I took it to the top if I had to.”
Raymond shared that one of his favorite things about living at Cactus Valley is taking part in the quarterly luncheons with other veterans. Joyce emphasized that, in addition to offering a relaxing, safe, and convenient resort-style living environment, it's important for her team to create events and activities that cater to the diverse needs and interests of all residents. These include everything from fitness classes to happy hours to community excursions. Additionally, the community has a 150-plus seated theatre for local performances.
"We are committed to our residents. They are our top priority," said Joyce. "As much as we work to give them the best experience, our residents, especially our veterans, also give a lot back to us. Their experience and life stories are so inspirational, especially for our younger team members. We are so thankful for them."
For Chuck, his contributions to the Cactus Valley community also include a book featuring an interview he conducted as part of an oral history project reflecting veterans’ voices. This book now sits in the library at Cactus Valley.
"It's important to keep telling our stories,” said Chuck. "I do it because one day we are all going to be gone, and the stories will go away with us too."
"Their experience and life stories are so inspirational, especially for our younger team members. We are so thankful for them."
"It's important to keep telling our stories...one day we are all going to be gone and the stories will go away with us too."