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Commander John B. Bartlett, USN
(ret.) “holds degrees from Alderson-Broaddus College (Philippi WV), and the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science.
He received his Commission from Naval Officer Candidate School (Newport R.I.). His Navy Surface Warfare Officer career included
assignments aboard USS Estes AGC-12, USS George Clymer APA-27, and USS Durham LKA-114. Tours of duty with these ships allowed
for participation in the first Amphibious landing of US Combat Marines in Vietnam in 1965 and the last lift of US Combat Marines
from Vietnam in 1972. CDR Bartlett participated in 7 of 19 combat campaign periods of the Vietnam War. He holds several decorations
and foreign service ribbons and was awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal by the Secretary of Defense for his service.
Following military retirement, John pursued a federal government career attaining the grade of GS-15 with the nuclear weapons
arm of the Department of Defense. He retired from Federal Service from the US Department of Energy having served as the DOE
Site Representative at Johnston Atoll and as Branch Chief of a US-USSR Treaty Compliance Inspection Team. He later worked
with State of Hawaii Civil Defense and in overseas defense contract management. John is now a retired federal contract consultant
and an active disaster assistance volunteer for the American Red Cross and Washington/County Emergency Management Services.
He is a member of the Vietnam Veterans of America, VFW, and the Military Officers Association of America.” Commander
John B. Bartlett is the author of Elusive Honor: A Post-Vietnam Trilogy.
According to the book description of
Elusive Honor: A Post-Vietnam Trilogy, “Four years after the Vietnam War, the author met three
Vietnam era veterans. Since then, they have lived in the author’s mind — coaxing, prodding, and haunting him for
closure. Now, twenty-eight years later, he is telling their story. What follows is a rare insider’s view of a Naval
Discharge Review Board in action, with updated notes for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars who might seek review of
a discharge they feel was unjust.”
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Commander John B. Bartlett said of Elusive
Honor: A Post-Vietnam Trilogy, “I am the author of this memoir which is a true account of three people
who petitioned the Navy for review of their unfavorable discharge after the Vietnam War. I was a member of the Naval Discharge
Review Board that heard and made decisions on each of their cases. This year I went online and reviewed current discharge
review board procedures and read current case histories of unfavorable discharge reviews from IRAQ and AFGHANISTAN service.
My experiences on the board and the content of the book "Elusive Honor" should provide a veteran or their family
with both hope and a good process for applying for a discharge review. Even though this is a Vietnam memoir, the information
provided is current, I hope it helps someone who believes they received an unjust or unfair discharge from military service.
This post Vietnam memoir is not about
war---It is about people--respect---and dignity; It is about finding peace---and restoring honor. Four years after the Vietnam
War during Board duty, I met three Vietnam Era veterans. Since then, they have lived in my mind---coaxing, prodding, and haunting
me for closure. Now, twenty-eight years later, I told their story. "Elusive Honor" provides a rare insider's
view of a Naval Discharge Review Board in action....with updated notes for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan War who may
seek remedies for a discharge they feel was unjust.”
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