Growing up in the 1960s in rural America created special memories for many. John Mead was no exception. Though an only child and with limited parenting from his mother and father, John nevertheless flourished in the care of his aunt and uncle and the carefree life of Woodland, Washington. He loved football and hunting and fishing most, except for his dog, Max; John had a special connection with animals - especially dogs. New love came too, with a high school romance that led to an early marriage after John was drafted and just before he was sent to Vietnam. There his life turned upside down. Far from home and family, John served as an Army radio operator in a strange and dangerous land. He met a remarkable man that would become a life-long friend. He called him Jonesy, and he was smart; he seemed to know something about just about everything. John also met a man that he would see once again soon after he returned home. That encounter was either a seemingly impossible coincidence, or an act of God. John didn't know which, and he didn't know his real name either, but the man later became known as D.B. Cooper. Life changed drastically again for John after he and Max found Cooper early Thanksgiving Day in 1971. A dead body and a lot of cash formed the basis for a secret that John would try to live with as he worked to get on with his life, and ultimately a secret that he would take to the grave.