A regiment marched past a third-grade window and changed everything. That image—nerves buzzing with music and boots—became the first chapter in Johnny Akkerman’s extraordinary journey from wartime Holland to small‑town Minnesota, where work, mentorship, and community would give shape to a long and generous life.
We sit with Johnny as he recalls food scraped from gardens, nights split by bomber engines, and the odd tenderness of liberation: Canadian trucks, flares in the sky, and a slice of bread so white it felt like a miracle. At 23 he boards a Dutch ocean liner, lands in New York, and rattles west on a stop‑and‑go train crowded with strangers and kindness. Minnesota greets him with relatives, a modest house, and a factory where a patient foreman teaches welding, blueprints, and the confidence to lead. That lesson in trust becomes Johnny’s signature: encourage others until they can do it on their own.
The road turns into a career installing dairy equipment across 47 states, then Spain’s Granada and the hills beyond Rio. Eventually, he trades airports for roots—marriage, kids, and decades in plant maintenance—while pouring energy into the town’s shared heartbeat: JCs, Lions, Vasaloppet. He helps build what neighbors need—an ice arena, a swimming pool, and the iconic orange Dala horse—painting its intricate design from scaffolds and later guiding its restoration like a rolling art studio under open sky.
Between service and steel, there’s play: learning golf at 47, cheering every shot, and yes, stepping into a swamp up to his neck before finishing the round an hour later. Johnny talks health and longevity with disarming clarity—genes matter, movement helps, and joy is fuel. On faith, he’s secular but grateful; for him, right and wrong come from family and the daily practice of showing up.
Come for war memories and immigration grit; stay for a masterclass in purpose without pretense. If you love stories about resilience, mentorship, civic pride, and the art of making a place better than you found it, this one will stick. Listen, share with a friend, and leave a review telling us which moment hit you hardest.
0:00 Meet Johnny: Roots And Music
1:08 Kindness, Work Ethic, And Leadership
4:56 Golf, Friendship, And Joy In Play
8:18 The Regiment On The Street: War Arrives
12:38 Hunger, Rations, And Night Bombers
17:45 Liberation And The Whitest Bread
21:36 Crossing The Atlantic To America
25:26 First Jobs, A Mentor, And Skills
30:08 Adventures Installing Dairy Plants
34:21 Family, Settling Down, And Community
