John R. "Jack" Stephens
Board Member

Jack Stephens was born on November 19, 1948 in Davenport, Iowa. His family moved to Minnesota shortly after he was born and then in 1958 moved to Phoenix, AZ. Jack graduated from Maryvale High School in 1966 and attended Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ for two years.

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In 1969 Jack was drafted into the Marine Corps and completed boot camp at MCRD San Diego. After boot camp and advanced infantry training, specializing in jungle warfare, he was deployed to Vietnam. Jack arrived in Danang, Vietnam and soon transported Southeast of Danang to Hoa Long, where he was attached to the 5th Communications Battalion.

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After his tour in Vietnam, he returned home and joined the Phoenix Police Department.

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In 1979 Jack was seriously injured while on duty with the Special Operations Team in the inner-city housing projects of Phoenix. He eventually quit the PD because of his injuries and moved back to Minnesota. After more surgeries and a long recovery, Jack joined the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office in 1984 and served 22 years as a Detention Sergeant before retiring.

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Jack is an avid motorcyclist. In the summer of 2013 while riding with a large group en route to the Veterans Administration, they stopped at the Eagle's Healing Nest for the first time and he knew the "Nest" was something special. They have never quit working and volunteering to help our veterans at the EHN.

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Jack is currently a member of the Board of Trustees at the EHN, and for the past two years has been teaching painting & drawing, wood carving, and poetry to the veterans two days a week.