By KINSEY COTE
Special to the Herald
A local Vietnam War veteran hopes to help other military members and families navigate death through his soon-to-be-published comprehensive guide, “End of Life Planning for Veterans and Spouses/Families.”
Kenneth Johnson, a now retired licensed professional counselor living in Statesboro, served in the Vietnam War from Christmas Eve 1968 to Nov. 19, 1969. Johnson operated in a combat role with the 25th Infantry Division and retired from the U.S. Army as a Specialist 5th Class. He was awarded the Bronze Star and twice awarded the Army Commendation for Valor due to his actions in combat.
Johnson said that he willingly enlisted to help fight in the Vietnam War, and didn’t think twice about his decision since he comes from a military family. His father, retired Chief Warrant Officer 4 Edwin R. Johnson, served in the U.S. Army for more than 30 years and fought in World War II, Korea and Vietnam.
Following his retirement from the Army after Vietnam, Johnson pursued his Bachelors of Arts in Psychology/Biology from the University of Delaware, a Masters of Science in Clinical Psychology and completed all courses for his Ph.D in Counseling Psychology from the University of Miami, but did not complete his dissertation.
“In my conscious mind, certainly I wanted to help others deal with situations in life, and help themselves,” Johnson said. “I think unconsciously, I was seeking to understand myself and dealing with my own personal problems, some of which I had no idea I had.”
Johnson said his experiences in Vietnam helped lead him to pursue his degree in psychology and now he wants to help other veterans as much as possible, even now past retirement.
Johnson moved from the Miami area to Statesboro in 1995. He said the years following the destruction caused by Category 5 Hurricane Andrew in 1992 saw most of his clientele leave the area. He said he loves Statesboro “due to the quiet and safe area, as well as nice people.”
In 2008, Johnson was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and began preparing for his own death. Johnson said he saw how distressed his wife became following this diagnosis, and he saw his needs were not as great as the need to relieve her stress.
Johnson said he wanted to ensure that all his financial affairs were handled and that his wife’s stress would be limited to her grieving.
Johnson was able to manage his condition and his symptoms went into full remission in 2019. Shortly after that, he joined American Legion Dexter Allen Post 90 in Statesboro and began volunteering as a service officer. He continues in the same role today, assisting veterans and their families in navigating VA-related issues.
Johnson said he now realizes that his own prior preparations for death were nowhere near complete, despite his months of research. He said he saw a need to compile a comprehensive, step-by-step guide for end-of-life planning of before, during and after death, containing documents and steps for veterans and their families to take.
“The book I have written, and will hopefully be published soon, is meant to supply all the information that is necessary to navigate this end-of-life planning,” Johnson said.
Both Johnson and his wife said they believe the resources and forms he outlines in his guide and needed by veterans and their families, aren’t easily accessible due to technology barriers, as well as forms being located in a variety of places.
Johnson’s wife, Barbara, recounted how she felt when he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure in 2008 and not being sure of where to begin with arrangements.
“I was terrified of ever having to deal with that and I’m old, but I’m not completely out of the loop. There’s no way I could navigate that if he should suddenly die,” Barbara said.
Content of the book
Johnson said “End-of-Life Planning for Veterans and Spouses/Families” was inspired by his need to understand how to navigate death for veterans, stemming from his own experience.
“If I had a message for my fellow veterans, it would be: ‘Come on guys, wake up, smell the roses, pay attention,’” Johnson said. “This isn’t something that you put off until later. It’s time to man up and do it now.”
Johnson also said that even if the veteran is experiencing denial surrounding their death, the six-chapter book provides an empowering approach to spouses about being able to handle the process and start preparing by themselves.
Johnson’s book may be purchased as a virtual book via Kindle or from Amazon as a physical, paperback book. The Kindle version contains hyperlinks that will take readers to the most recent version of the forms needed.
Now finished with his book, Johnson said he has two priorities. He said he plans to continue to periodically update the book and continue his research to make it even better, and spend more quality time and enjoy life with his wife.