John Frederick Van Landingham was born in Wisconsin in 1967 and moved to Paris, Arkansas at age 14. He joined the Air Force at 24, served in Korea, and was honorably discharged in 1996. He then joined the Arkansas National Guard, becoming a second lieutenant through OCS in 1999. He deployed with the 153rd Infantry to Bosnia in 2001 and to Iraq in 2004 as a captain with the 1st Battalion, 206th Field Artillery, 1st Cavalry Division. On November 14, he earned the Silver Star for gallantry during an ambush in Taji, Iraq. His citation notes his bravery in rescuing wounded soldiers under fire. He received several other awards, including the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, NATO Medal, and Small Arms Expert Badge. He was medically discharged as a major in 2011.