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John Henry Golden | Misc Notes
1934 September 12 – born at Birmingham, Alabama
—- Parents: Henry Roosevelt Golden (1904-1987) and Readie Mae Belcher Golden (1907-1993)
1949 (age 15) — he got into an argument with his father about a mule, a story that both my father and grandfather and grandmother told in the same detail. My father was not the farmer type. He wanted to see the world and to travel. However, he lived on a dairy farm and every Golden was needed to work the farm. One day he was trying to get a mule to move elsewhere on the farm and the mule refused to budge. He got so frustrated that he picked up a 2×4 or something close to it and whacked the mule. He hurt the mule, although not as bad as he had feared — but there was fear. My grandfather Henry Roosevelt could have a terrible temper and had previously threatened to take a 2×4 to my father (seems that there had been prior situations with the mule and my father) … and so my father ran off to Jacksonville, Florida. He spent two weeks hanging out at the beach doing odd jobs to buy food and such. From that point forward my father made up his mind to live near a beach and to forsake farming. Almost. He almost forsook farming — my grandfather somehow found out where he was and he came and got him. The next time my father ran away he went to a Marine recruiter. // Except for a few years living in Houston, Texas my father spent the rest of his life within a short drive to the beach. As kids my father would put us all into the car and off to the beach we went. When I was about age six we moved to Jacksonville, Florida and we would always hear stories about the time that he ran away to the beach.
1950-1952 – This photo was taken at some time after October 1951 and before April 1952. The film itself was manufactured in early October 1950 per manufacture markings on the reverse of the photo.
1952-1955 – My father joined the Marines on April 22nd, 1952 at Birmingham, Alabama and arrived for training at Parris Island, South Carolina with the 382nd Platoon on April 23rd.
U.S. Marine Corps with military service in Japan as an Occupation Force member at Camp Henry at the foot of Mount Fuji, and he served in the Korean War. He served in Company D, 2nd Battalion, FMF, USMC during the war. Achieved rank of Corporal. Legend has it that only three members of his unit survived in a Chinese attack during the war. Whether he meant his platoon or his company had only three survivors I no longer recall. He told me that one of the survivors would later build a small empire of 5-and-dime stores in California, one became a serial murderer and then there was my father.
My father loved to think about creative ways to make money and to create business. While management may not have been his strongest skillset he could look at almost anything and see $$$ to be made. Over his life he either started (usually) or managed a wide range of companies: Renault car sales (’61-63), one of the first Toyota dealerships (’64-65), a yacht company, three newspapers (’67, ’72 and ’84), a step company (they built steps for any purpose; there is a market for steps! … or was), one of the first insulated double-pane vinyl window companies ’72-74), an education company that gave seminars on the threat of Communism (’67), a swimming pool company, and other things as well … there was usually a copy of Entrepreneur Magazine somewhere about the house on most days.
1955 March – Married Clara Anne Norfleet of Hickory, Virginia
—- Children: William David, Robert Edward, Brenda Lee, John Henry Jr. (same birthday), Richard Andrew and James Michael
1979 August 3 – Married Claudia Carole Canady of Jacksonville, Florida with whom he lived life until his passing in 2001. This was probably one of his happiest times in life.
2001 May 8 – passed away at Jacksonville, Florida after a long battle with cancer
