Meet John Kennard

John Kennard is the son of 2nd Ranger Battalion Lt. Frank L. Kennard whose letters are the subject of “D-Day Journal.” Kennard was commissioned a Lieutenant in the US Army Armor Corps. He served in Germany, rose to Captain and went to Vietnam in 1970. In Vietnam, Captain Kennard was a Special Security Officer (SSO) working for five General Officers and one US Ambassador managing their backchannel messages also known as “Eyes Only” messages. He also handled highly classified information from the DIA, CIA and State Department. Kennard earned a BA in English Literature from the University of Virginia. After military service, Kennard earned a Masters in Business Administration from the Darden School at the University of Virginia.
John Kennard is retired from Brown-Forman Corporation where he worked for twenty-seven years including time as Senior Vice President and global brand director for Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey. Kennard has been Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Owen School of Business at Vanderbilt University and Distinguished Executive in Residence at the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia. Kennard serves as an expert witness in intellectual property matters in court cases at both state and Federal District Court level. Kennard has co-authored published case studies in marketing and has contributed to a leading marketing textbook. Today, Kennard lives on Amelia Island, FL and in Southern Pines, NC with his wife, Linda.