In his youth, John Burkhalter boxed professionally under the name “Jacky Mills,” and played on the football team for Miami (Florida) High School. He was ordained a Baptist minister in 1935, and was senior pastor of West Flagler Park Baptist Church in Miami, Florida. After World War II began, he was commissioned a U.S. Army chaplain, and after attending the Chaplain’s School at Harvard in 1943, was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division, landing with them on Omaha Beach on D-day. He subsequently served through the campaigns across France. During the Battle of the Bulge he sustained multiple head injuries due to exploding shrapnel and was declared “missing in action” for several weeks before eventually turning up in a French hospital. After World War II he served with the occupation forces in Japan, and deployed to South Korea after the Korean War began, serving with the 51st Signal Battalion and the 73d Tank Battalion. He gained some notoriety when a photo of him conducting a funeral service in the field was published in “Life” Magazine. After 13 months in Korea, he went on to service in other assignments before being transferred to the Army Reserve. He retired in 1969 as a U.S. Army lieutenant colonel.