Retired Major General John A. Hemphill may have paperwork that says he retired from his career in the service 25 years ago, but in many ways, he is still serving the members of both the military and the community in which he lives, every single day.

Hemphill is not a man who likes to speak about himself; he'd rather talk about the good work others have done or the projects that are keeping him fired up. After 34 distinguished years in the Army, during which he served in command and staff positions during both the Vietnam and Korean Wars, he told his wife of 58 years, Peggy, to pick out her dream house. Shortly thereafter they set up their family home in Steilacoom and Hemphill began to actively participate in every aspect of the community, both on base and off.

First he worked to create the Steilacoom Chamber of Commerce and then in 2001 he started the Citizens Fireworks Committee so that Steilacoom residents could have quite the show on the Fourth of July. He also worked on starting the Kiwanis Club in Steilacoom, of which he is proudly still just a member, joking, "I am the founder, but that is it."

In recent years, he has worked closely with the Steilacoom Historical School District by chairing bond and levy campaigns and also spearheaded the program to fundraise and install a statue of Chloe Clark (historically the first school teacher in the area) within the district. As a result of these efforts, he was awarded the Washington Association of School Administrators Community Service Award.

Some of Hemphill's largest contributions have been done through the Associate of the United States Army (AUSA), of which he's been a member since 1956. In 1995, he became the President of the AUSA Fort Lewis Chapter (newly renamed the Captain Meriwether Lewis Chapter due to the joint-basing) for four years. Following that he became the Regional President for four years and then assumed the position of Committee Chairman in 2003. His first task was to fundraise and install the Captain Meriwether Lewis memorial at the Joint Base Lewis-McChord front gate. Upon successfully erecting the three bronze statues, Hemphill remained in his position and began thinking of his next endeavor.

"The 42nd Military Police Brigade was constantly giving back to our community. They cleaned the parks, helped at the schools and attended town meetings," Hemphill explained. "Yet it was a one-way street. I was sure that this exact situation was presenting itself in other local cities and towns that were involved with the community connector program. So I proposed that we form AUSA subchapters to really start returning the support."

"John Hemphill is a true patriot with a soft spot for soldiers and their wellbeing. Most recently, he helped to form subchapters in the local communities," said Carlene Joseph, President of the AUSA Captain Meriwether Lewis Chapter. "It couldn't have been done without his support, passion and sheer determination."

Though he simply views himself as the ‘Johnny Appleseed' of the AUSA subchapters, those that work with him feel more strongly.

"I come in, help find leaders and write the bylaws...then I move on," he stated. Retired Major General Jimmy Collins, who is the president of the Steilacoom AUSA subchapter, said that Hemphill has been invaluable in starting up the subchapter.

"Following Maj. Gen. Hemphill is easy, even when the task is not," said Lt. Col. Zane Jones, Battalion Commander of the 508th Military Police Battalion, which is part of the 42nd MP Brigade. "Due to his perseverance, our Brigade, as well as the entire MP community at JBLM, are absolutely overwhelmed at the support shown by the Steilacoom Subchapter. At our recent ball, we'd planned for 600 guests but due to their fundraising, we had 740 attend."

As of now, Hemphill plans to resign from his position as an AUSA Committee Chair in the spring of 2012 and just remain a member. Though asking if he will miss the extra contact with the Army is met with a smile.

"I can't miss what I'm never far from," Hemphill said, smiling. "We are an Army family through and through."

Such a statement couldn't be more accurate; the Hemphills, who together raised five daughters, have created sort of a military legacy. From his daughters and son-in-laws, most of whom spent time serving their country, to the five out of his 12 grandchildren who are currently on active duty in the Army, Hemphill is never without a link to someone in uniform.

"I am pleased that the American people like their military now," the 81-year-old Hemphill concluded. "It is a better military now than ever before and the public support just makes them stronger."