Technical Sergeant Johnny Ray House was born in Marked Tree and, since 1968, has resided in Harrisburg. His awards include the Distinguished Flying Cross, eight Air Medals, and the Air Force Commendation Medal. Upon graduating from high school in 1957, Johnny House enlisted in the US Air Force. Initially trained as an air policeman, Sergeant House was assigned to Strategic Air Command bases, serving in Alaska, Ohio, Japan, and Michigan. In February 1960, he retrained as a loadmaster on the twin-engine C123 Provider aircraft. After graduation, he transferred to Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina, where he received further training on the C130 Hercules and the C141 Starlifter aircraft. Possessing a special background investigation for a top-secret security clearance, he was assigned to Thailand, flying the C123 aircraft for the 606 Special Operations Group. While a member of this group, Sergeant House logged 131 classified combat missions, totaling 580 hours.