What People Are Saying

Armed and Ready to Live

John had identified himself early in his college experience as a leader, as someone who was deeply interested in his own learning and growth, and in pursuing opportunities that would help him develop his talents. He also demonstrated a sincere interest in the welfare of others and in his
newly-adopted community. Because of his eagerness, enthusiasm, and his own successful adjustment to college, I recruited John to coteach a Freshman Orientation class with me.

John accepted this responsibility, to pass along to new freshmen what he had learned, with commitment and dedication. He treated each student with great respect—regardless of who they were—and was sensitive to the challenges they faced as they negotiated a new and exciting chapter in their lives both academically and emotionally.

What I remember most clearly about teaching with John was the force of his positive attitude, sincerity, and the support that he provided for each student. Whoever they were, wherever they were in life, wherever they were headed, whatever their problems or shortcomings, John accepted them. Psychologists call this affirmation. I call it love. If anyone has the credentials to write a book about overcoming challenges and breaking barriers as a teen or young adult, it would be John Bratton. I’m proud to say he even inspires adults to include me.

- Barry King, Associate Vice President of Student Affairs
(ret.), Salisbury State University

Some say those who have the knack to lead are “born” leaders. I tend to disagree. Perhaps some are born with traits of leadership; but without training and development, those traits are often wasted by either not being used at all, or used in a manner producing negativity and disloyalty.

I believe John Bratton was born with leadership traits. He was also born with wisdom and discernment. He knew it was necessary to hone and develop those skills he possessed if he wanted to be a true leader. He did, and he did. 1LT Bratton, through training and on-the-job experience in the military and in civilian life, developed into one of the finest leaders of soldiers I have met. That training and skill is displayed in the exceptional career he has built for himself and the way he leads those who have wisely chosen to board his bus to success. His compassion for others and willingness to never stop learning the teachings of life has brought him great blessings. God has blessed LT with a great gift. It would behoove us all to pray for that gift. The military develops leaders; leaders develop positive lifestyles and contribute to others. Thanks, LT.

- SFC (Retired) Riggin Johnson, 1229th Transportation Company, Maryland Army National Guard

John Bratton is one of the most important people in my life. I meet John when I was nineteen years old and attending Howard University. I only worked for John for a short time, but our friendship has lasted many years. John fully supported me 100 percent in my endeavors to become a superstar rapper and music producer. I was signed and dropped from three different record deals and moved to three different cities over a three-year period. During that time, John and my father gave me the majority of my moral support while everyone else suggested that I give up. John never suggested that I give up and always believed in me. John’s motivation and confidence in me was a major contribution to my persistence.

After moving to NYC, my father and I wrote a business plan for me to start my own record label and release my CD independently. I did not want to present the plan to John because I valued my friendship with him so much that I did not want to ever ask him for money. There have been times when I had no money, I was hungry and my gas tank was on empty and I would be talking to John (a man with deep pockets) and I would not say anything about my dismal financial condition or ask him for money because I valued our friendship more than anything.

After presenting my business plan to a few potential investors (to no avail), I finally presented it to John. John thought it was great and decided to financially back my goal by investing in my Record Label HIGH LIFE Entertainment. This was that break that I needed to take my dreams to the next level. This was the first time in my life that I was offered a legitimate deal without any unorthodox strings being attached. I was extremely excited to be finally producing, recording, and releasing my debut album—and it was all thanks to John! After almost a year of hard work, my album was done. However, the same week that we got the CD back from the manufacturer, my father committed suicide in a hotel room without any warning.

This was the most horrible thing to ever happen to me because my father was my best friend and the biggest influence that I had in my life. During this tragedy, John was there for me more than anyone. John dropped everything and flew to Chicago to be with me at my father’s funeral. From that moment on, John has been helping me get my life back together. It seemed like everything in my life fell apart when my father died. My relationship with my girlfriend unraveled, and the momentum that my music career gained came to a screeching halt. This all was an enormous amount of pain for me to deal with all at once. If it was not for John’s guidance and support, I honestly do not believe that could have handled it. Since my father’s death, I have felt like my friendship with John is one of the few things I have that make my life worth living. I know that with John’s guidance and friendship, I will be able to get my life back on track!

John is an exceptional person, role model, businessman, and above all—My Big Brother!

- Brandon Carter, Musician

I first met John as a college freshman during preseason camp for the university soccer team. I had been accepted into the school and was invited to try out for the team, but didn’t have living arrangements due to my missing the application deadline for campus housing (a typical freshman mistake, I guess). One of the seniors on the team mentioned that they needed a roommate to share rent in their off campus house, so he invited his roommate, John, to drop by the campus and meet me. John, as I was later informed, was not too thrilled about the idea of a freshman living with three seniors. Nevertheless, he showed up to the campus with nothing but smiles to meet me before deciding whether or not to offer me a place to say. Within minutes, we realized that John and my older brother actually knew each other and had worked together previously! Next thing you know, I was moving in.

However, living off campus as a seventeen-year-old freshman with three twenty-something-year-olds had its challenges. Once soccer season was over, I became disconnected with my fellow teammates and became a little lonely, I guess. I was always a very shy person, so it was difficult to pick up the phone and call the other younger soccer players on the team to get involved, and many of them had already formed their own on-campus cliques. John and the other roommates saw this, and made valiant efforts to introduce me to their friends, take me out with them, etc. However, I was seventeen and had no girlfriend, whereas they were all over twenty-one and had serious girlfriends. So John started to go out of his way to hang out with me whenever possible, despite his busy coursework and ROTC activities, not to mention his own social life. We ended up talking late into the night quite often, about college life, our families, and what we were going to do in our future. I had no idea. At this point, John had unwittingly become my mentor. John graduated that spring, and we kept in touch by phone and occasionally got together over the next two years.

It was during my senior year that our friendship began to change from one resembling big brother and little brother to more of a friendship. As I was approaching graduation, I was becoming more and more unsure about what I wanted to do with my life after college. John kept saying, “Don’t worry, just find a job, get your foot in the door somewhere, make some money, and things will take care of themselves. Trust me; everything happens at the two-year mark.” Two-year mark? I had no idea what he was talking about. John then told me that two years after college, something was going to come my way, and I was going to realize what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go in life. However, it was important to work hard at whatever I was doing, make as many personal connections as possible, and keep my eyes and ears open. I graduated from Salisbury University in 1991. On a whim in late 1992, I applied for graduate school at the University of Maryland to get my masters degree in Exercise Physiology. In the field of health and fitness, you can only go so far with just a baccalaureate degree, so I was going to get a graduate degree so I could go back to work in corporate fitness and become director, maybe make more money. John insisted that I arrange an interview with someone in the department so that I could introduce myself and just make a positive impression. Then, in 1993, the “two-year mark,” I received a letter from the University of Maryland—the school I loved since I was a little boy—offering me a graduate assistantship. I would be teaching at the University of Maryland!

To make a long story short, I am in my tenth year as a college professor. I lived with John as a roommate almost my entire graduate school career. Our relationship blossomed into one where not only did I rely on him for advice, but he began to do the same. We saw each other’s share of ups and downs, but through it all, I saw how he kept up his positive attitude, outstanding work ethic, and always tried to have fun. I saw him go through Desert Storm, help develop a small local college in to a regional force, and then develop himself into a successful real estate agent. Our friendship has remained as strong as ever over the years despite not seeing each other very frequently because of distance. I now refer to John as “my other big brother,” and asked him to be one of my best men at my wedding along with my true older brother. I am a lucky guy for him to have had such a positive influence on me for all these years.

Still one of the most chilling moments in my life was when John stopped in to see me and Cliff before he went to Iraq. Watching him leave in the middle of the night into the darkness of our backyard (in his fatigues) was scary, and I’ll never forget it. I was honored that I was his last stop before reporting to duty. I cried when he left that night. At that moment I knew we would always be friends. Without exception, every family member and friend that I have introduced him to always say, “I really like that John, he is so nice!” Yes, I know he is. But he has been more than that—a mentor, an advisor, a best man, and yes, a big brother.

- Greg Martel, Tenured Professor and Friend