MARINE CORPS AIR STATION YUMA, Ariz. -- To take one look at Kurt Johnson, you'd swear he was an off-duty gunnery sergeant; his closely-shorn blond hair forming a style more "in regulation" than a lot of Marines on active duty.
In actuality, Johnson is a Marine, but only in the sense of the phrase, "Once a Marine, always a Marine." Johnson was a crash fire rescue man in Yuma from 1988 to 1992; but although he has been a civilian for more than a decade, his passion for the Corps is still racing through his blood vessels, which seems to be appropriate since his other great passion is auto racing.
Johnson visited the air station Jan. 28 with his new toy, a small block dragster that Johnson races in National Hot Rod Association events. He raced in Tucson the previous weekend, and was heading to Las Vegas for events Feb. 1 and 2 after a brief stop at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, Calif.
The former Marine sergeant now works as a training manager for the Denver, Colo., area locations of Aggregate Industries, a national-level ready-mix concrete producing company. After climbing the ladder of success with Aggregate since moving back to his hometown of Longmont, Colo., Johnson now actively seeks newly separated or soon-to-separate military members especially Marines to join Aggregate's ranks.
"Since I was a Marine, I can look at a service record book of a Marine and know that there is a good individual applying for a position," Johnson said. "I know they're going to come to work."
Johnson has retained much of the appearance the aforementioned neatly cropped "high and tight" haircut and the business casual polo shirt and jeans with belt and all of the love for the Marine Corps that he had when he was an enlisted Marine, and says that's why he wants to surround himself with like-minded individuals in his professional life.
"I wouldn't trade my Marine Corps experience for anything," Johnson said. "You hear people say 'the Marine Corps changed my life,' and for me I really believe it did."
The lessons and values learned in the Corps have stuck with Johnson, and he credits being a Marine as a leading reason for where he is today.
"I've moved my way up in this company, and there's no way I could have done it without my Marine Corps experiences," said Johnson with earnest conviction. "They taught me how to lead, and they taught me how to follow leaders."
While the Denver-area branch of Aggregate Industries sponsors his racing endeavors and encourages him to recruit servicemembers, Johnson is happy to be able to congregate with Marines. Johnson also unofficially promotes the Marine Corps while pursuing racing-related activities. He has developed a program that takes high school students to the race track to drag race in a safe environment, instead of racing in the streets.
"We got them to go to the track, and they've developed into a little family a band of brothers and the recruiters come by to let the kids know more about what the Marines offer," said Johnson, who added that he rarely misses an opportunity to let the youth know about his experiences in the Corps.
Johnson has combined his passions work, auto racing and the Marine Corps and uses each to help him further his success in each. It's an arrangement that keeps Johnson motivated to excel at each of his pursuits.
"I really believe that you've got to do what you love," Johnson said. "If your dreams are strong enough, you'll find a way to accomplish anything. Look at what I've been able to do."
Johnson started racing cars at 16, and now has a dragster capable of pumping out more than 1,800 horsepower and blowing away the competition. Johnson started driving cement trucks after leaving the Marine Corps, and now he trains and manages truck drivers for a 26-location, 1,500 employee company in Denver. Johnson was able to earn the title of Marine, and he continues to beam with pride whenever he gets the opportunity to talk to someone about his experiences in the Corps.