Memorial Day 2014

John Hodge is one of the longest-serving current members of SHAES.

A paid on-call firefighter, he is in his fourth decade of service to the community.

His uncle, Stan Wakild, (still a member of SHAES) and a cousin were members of the department. As a youth, John enjoyed visiting them when our station was located on Broadway in downtown South Haven. He joined the department in 1985.

A founding member of the SHAES Honor Guard, John remains active with the unit, serving not only our community but other departments with their memorial needs. One of his most memorable experiences was serving alongside the U.S. Forest Service Honor Guard at the 2015 funeral of Richard Wheeler. (John is pictured at the left with the Honor Guard during the annual Memorial Day parade.)

John is employed by Albemarle Corp. in South Haven. He enjoys fishing and is a home brewer.