A Quiet Hero at Woodbury: Honoring Navy Veteran John Thuente This Veterans Day

At Saint Therese of Woodbury, stories of courage and compassion often live quietly among us — tucked behind gentle smiles, modest gestures and humble words. This Veterans Day, we honor one such story: that of John Thuente, a Navy veteran whose service in Vietnam revealed not only bravery in the skies but deep humanity that continues to inspire.

A Minnesotan’s Call to Serve

John grew up in St. Paul, fascinated by airplanes and determined to fly. Following his father’s example of service, he entered the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis and graduated in 1964. After flight school in California, he was stationed aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (image below) as a navigator and weapons officer, flying F-4 Phantom jets over North Vietnam.

“I enjoyed active duty,” John recalls simply. “It was my duty, and I was willing and able to do it.”

Over three combat tours on the Enterprise, John flew more than 400 missions, navigating through perilous skies, guiding pilots through bombing runs and often circling low to protect other aircraft and troops on the ground. During those missions, he and his fellow aviators were often exposed to Agent Orange, a chemical herbicide used to clear dense jungle vegetation but later linked to serious health problems for those exposed.

One night after landing at an air base, he chose to sleep on the wing of his jet — partly because, as he wryly recalled, “the tents were full of rats.” The wing, he said, “was warmer than the ground.”

Courage Amid Chaos

In one of his final missions, as the carrier prepared to leave Vietnam, John volunteered for a dangerous decoy mission to draw enemy fire away from a helicopter rescuing children from a rooftop in Saigon.

“None of the other pilots wanted to fly,” his wife, Rosemary, remembers. “He just said, ‘I’ll go.’”

It was a split-second decision that may have saved lives — and it captures who John is: a man of courage guided by compassion.

Breaking New Ground with the F-14

After his second tour, John was assigned to Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland, where he helped test and develop the new F-14 fighter jet — the Navy’s next-generation aircraft. Working closely with engineers at Grumman, he was one of just two test pilots on the project and later delivered the first F-14 to Miramar Naval Air Station in San Diego, California. There, he trained other aviators to fly the advanced jet before returning to the Enterprise in 1974 for his third tour, this time flying the F-14.

After the War: Service in a Different Sky

When his military career ended, John turned his focus to another kind of challenge: protecting innovation and discovery. With an engineering background from the Naval Academy, he earned a law degree from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul and became a patent attorney.

He later led Patents & Licensing at the University of Minnesota, helping the university defend and reclaim valuable patents — saving millions and fueling research that would benefit countless others. Eventually, he co-founded Patterson Thuente Law Firm in Minneapolis, where he built a respected career anchored in integrity and intellect.

Despite health challenges later in life — complications from Agent Orange exposure — John’s outlook remains steady and uncomplaining. Rosemary describes him as “my hero,” not only for his service, but for his resilience, warmth and faith. 

A Family and a Legacy

Together, John and Rosemary raised eight children and built a life rooted in gratitude and community. Over the years, they’ve quietly supported Vietnamese and Hmong families settling in Minnesota — a continuation of John’s mission to “fight for those who couldn’t fight for themselves.”

When asked what Veterans Day means to him, John’s answer is as measured as it is meaningful:

“We were fighting for those who couldn’t fight for themselves. Politics aside, it was about freedom.”

Never Again Forgotten

For John and Rosemary, this Veterans Day is a time of quiet reflection in their new home at Saint Therese of Woodbury. Rosemary recalls the early years after the war, when returning servicemen weren’t met with the gratitude they deserved. “The word compassion means to suffer with,” she says. “We’re more compassionate now, since Vietnam.”

At Saint Therese, we honor that compassion — and the countless ways veterans like John remind us what courage truly looks like. It isn’t loud or boastful. It’s humble, steady and deeply human.

This Veterans Day, we thank John — and all who have served — for living those values every day, and for reminding us what true respect looks like in action.