John Robert Bridges was born on September 17, 1927 in Trigg County, Kentucky. He was the only child born to Ira Wade Bridges and Birch Lena Kennedy Bridges. Ira had worked as a field agent for the Kentucky Alcoholic Beverages Control Board for four years. He then served for sixteen years as deputy sheriff of Henderson County and finished his law enforcement career as the Sheriff of Henderson County for four years. John’s mother, Birch, was a housewife.
John’s earliest years were spent in Trigg County, but the family moved to Henderson, Kentucky in 1935 when he was eight years old and he attended the Henderson Schools. He went on to attend and graduate from the University of Kentucky in Lexington.
On September 6, 1950, John married Doris Jean Richards, a native of Henderson. Doris was born July 23, 1930, the daughter of Richard Kenneth Richards and Elizabeth Griffin Richards. Richard was a native of New York and Elizabeth was from Henderson. Richard was a local businessman in Henderson. John and Doris were the parents of two children, Darry Ellen Bridges, born in 1951 and married Donald J. Guli and Kathleen “Kathy” Ann Bridges, born in 1953 and married Michael Lane Rafael.
Following graduation from the University of Kentucky, John entered the U. S. Army as an officer in the Infantry. In November of 1952, John who had reached the rank of Captain was sent overseas to the Republic of Korea at the height of the Korean conflict. He was assigned to the 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division. On June 15, 1953, after being in the war zone for a little over six months, John was killed on the front lines while leading a counterattack on the enemy in North Korea. His widow, Doris Bridges, received a telegram from the Army on Monday June 22, informing her of his death. His body arrived by ship back in the United States at San Francisco in early September. A funeral service with full military honors were held in Henderson on September 9, 1953. John’s two young daughters, Darry was only 2 years old and Kathy was only 5 months old at the time. As John had gone overseas the prior November, he never saw his younger daughter. His widow and Captain Bridges’ mother, Mrs. Ira Bridges were presented with the flags that covered his coffin at the funeral.
A letter was read at the funeral that was written by a sergeant who cited an unusual quality possessed by his commander, Capt. Bridges. "He wore his bars easily." the sergeant wrote. A number of soldiers in his battalion asked for transfers to Capt. Bridges' unit, a rifle company, for the honor of serving under him, the sergeant said. The letter was written the day after Capt. Bridges' death. It pictured the capable leadership and fair treatment given by Capt. Bridges to his men.
John was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.
John, who was 25 at the time of his death was buried in the Fairmont Cemetery in Henderson.
John's tombstone
LINEAGE: (John Robert Bridges was the son of Ira Wade and Birch Lena Kenady Bridges and grandson of Robert Lee and Lula Wade Bridges. Robert Lee was the second child of Wiliam Joseph and Sarah Wills Bridges. William Joseph was the first child of Simco N. and Emeline Martin Bridges. Simco was the third child of William and Mary Thomas Bridges. William was the fourth child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.)
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