REAL LIFE LESSONS

By Jennifer Gombach

To say that John Gargus Bowling Green ’53 is accomplished is an understatement. Having escaped communist Czechoslovakia at the age of 15, he came to the U.S. speaking no English and with little to his name. Through hard work and determination, Gargus went on to a distinguished 27-year Air Force career and a notable civilian career. In retirement he’s found success as a published author. He credits much of who he became to his years with Phi Kappa Psi.

Gargus

“The Fraternity helped me grow from a refugee from communist Czechoslovakia to a devoted American citizen and afforded me leadership opportunities that helped me succeed in a rewarding Air Force career,” Gargus said.

While Gargus’ parents arranged his escape to the U.S. in 1949, they stayed behind, and Gargus’ grandmother became his sole family in America. With barely enough money for his freshman year at Bowling Green, Gargus lived in a single dorm room, keeping to himself and focusing on his studies. He avoided the hype about pledging a fraternity to protect his meager funds. His sophomore year he gained two roommates who wanted to pledge Phi Kappa Psi.

They brought Ohio Zeta active members to their apartment, and knowing Gargus was concerned about finances, the future brothers offered him a dishwashing job in the kitchen. That brotherhood would remain a constant during John’s years with Ohio Zeta.

Gargus said he liked fraternity life from the start. “It was good to have many friends and stray away from the books that had enslaved my prior solitary life,” he explained. His social life took off and he began dating, but his dishwashing job disappeared when the cook bankrupted the kitchen. Not to be deterred, Gargus began purchasing the food to feed his brothers. This effort taught him budgeting for others. He worked with the house mother to hire a new cook who encouraged his continued involvement in the kitchen. “I learned from her a great deal about contracting for food from restaurant suppliers. Budgeting became my thing, and that expanded to the chapter’s budget once I became its president,” he said. “Ohio Zeta gave me opportunities to experience real life lessons normally taught in economics courses.”

Gargus’ next obstacle came from a State Department recruiting representative. His major was international relations with a goal of working for the State Department, but the rep said Gargus would never obtain a security clearance because his entire family lived behind the Iron Curtain. John was ready to quit school, but his political science advisor recommended he instead consider a future in the Air Force and go into the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC).

His junior year, Gargus’ brothers elected him to represent Ohio Zeta on the Interfraternity Council and then elected him chapter president. When Hal Dick Bowling Green ’55 became an Ohio Zeta’s pledge, John became his “Big Brother” establishing the foundation for a lifelong friendship. “My Phi Kappa Psi claim to fame is that I am Hal’s Big Brother. I am proud of Hal’s contribution to the Fraternity.”

During his presidency, Gargus went before the Dean to plead the cases of three brothers who violated the university’s zero-tolerance alcohol policy. His defense of his brothers was unsuccessful, but he learned from the Dean that when you are empowered with authority, you have an obligation to follow the rules and regulations which you are responsible to enforce. He said the lesson served him well throughout his careers.

After graduating, Gargus worked a summer job earning enough money to join three brothers on a cross-country trip to attend the 48th Grand Arch Council. “It was a memorable way to end my active days in the Fraternity,” he said.

Gargus entered the Air Force as a 2nd lieutenant and retired as a colonel. He accumulated over 6,100 flying hours and earned his Master Navigator Wings. In 1970 he participated in the Son Tay Raid to rescue American POWs held in North Vietnam. He later obtained a master’s degree in international relations. In 2003, Gargus’ colleagues elected him to the Air Commando Hall of Fame for his contributions to special operations. In civilian life, John became director for maintenance for the Austin Independent School District. In retirement he has authored five illustrated books for children and historical articles with two books on the Vietnam War.

“At Bowling Green I became who I am to this day. What I learned during my undergraduate life at Ohio Zeta prepared me for life better than my liberal arts degree. Phi Kappa Psi Brotherhood became a God-sent substitute for the family I left in Czechoslovakia,” Gargus said.

Gargus has been married to Anita Perez since 1958. They reside in New Hampshire and have four children.

Jennifer Gombach is a Northwestern State University graduate who has worked in marketing and journalism for 35 years. She’s currently the Corporate Strategy News & Information Leader at Cummins Inc. She enjoyed her share of moms’ weekends with her son’s fraternity and daughter’s sorority.