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John Graham's life reads like an adventure novel, but with a profound transformation at its core. At just 17, he left behind his sheltered existence in Tacoma, Washington, for a summer job on a freighter bound for the Far East. That voyage would set him on a path of increasingly dangerous adventures spanning decades and continents.

Graham recounts harrowing experiences with remarkable candor – mountain climbing expeditions where avalanches narrowly missed him, hitchhiking through war zones, and navigating political revolutions. His seemingly insatiable hunger for adrenaline led him to the U.S. Foreign Service, where he strategically positioned himself in the divisions handling wars and revolutions, primarily in Africa and Asia.

The turning point came during the Vietnam War. As Graham orchestrated desperate measures during a battle for the city of Hue, he experienced a profound moral awakening: "I didn't give a damn about this war... The only thing that mattered to me was fulfilling my own needs for taking risks." This realization began a transformation that would redirect his considerable skills and courage toward humanitarian work.

His most dramatic moment of reckoning occurred years later during the sinking of the cruise ship Prinsendam in the Gulf of Alaska. Trapped in a lifeboat during a typhoon with rescue chances dwindling, Graham had what he describes as a spiritual confrontation that cemented his commitment to meaningful service. Following his miraculous rescue, he joined forces with his wife Ann Medlock at the Giraffe Heroes Project, where they've spent over 40 years telling stories of people who "stick their necks out" for the common good.

Now in his 80s, Graham offers wisdom that transcends political divisions: "There's no more important quest for anybody than our personal lives being meaningful." His journey from self-serving adventurer to humanitarian reminds us that finding purpose through service creates bridges across even the deepest divides. What will you do to make your life meaningful?

Links - Giraffe Heroes Project

John Graham - https://www.johngraham.org/

Hosted by Brandon Mulnix - Director of Commercial Accounts - Prism Controls
The Poultry Leadership Podcast is only possible because of its sponsor, Prism Controls
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