AUDIO – PASSION & COMPASSION –

March 12, 2023 – If the Iran hostage evacuation had not succeeded, John Shinholser‘s life might have been a lot different. At the age of 23, Shinholser was part of a unit stationed in the Strait of Hormuz, waiting on an attack order from President Ronald Reagan.

The order never came, and Shinholser never saw a firefight. But he left the Marine Corps as a veteran with at least one accolade badge of honor: Shinholser had been named “Marine of the Month,” a nod from his battalion commander for sobering up in the service.

Nowadays, never one to keep his opinion to himself, Shinholser often found himself at odds with local and state government officials. Most recently, he pushed to have more addicts on the board of the Opioid Abatement Authority, a board that currently has one designated spot for a person with lived experience of addiction.

When asked why he himself was not appointed to the board position by Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Shinholser said the governor did not have the courage to.

Click@Richmond