JF "Junior" Rhodes was born in Abilene, KS and moved with his family two years later to Tampa, KS. Rhodes graduated from Tampa High School in 1939 and attended the Kemper military academy in Missouri graduating in 1941. After school he took a job in a bank in Sacramento, CA until he volunteered for the Army, January 23, 1942. In October of 1942, his parents received news Rhodes was missing in actions from his infantry unit in Italy. However a hand written letter from Rhodes stating he was living in an apple orchard was a relief to the his parents and a second letter from the war department confirmed their son was back with his unit. Courtesy of the Dickinson County Heritage Center