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John B. Bestic, Jr., a two-decade resident of Pawleys Island, South Carolina, died on March 23 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was a retired senior Central Intelligence Agency officer and a Vietnam veteran. John was born in Spokane, Washington and grew up in Nebraska, Hawaii, and Virginia. He graduated from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, in 1965, with a bachelor’s in political science and a confirmed lifelong love of Tar Heels basketball. Some who knew John later in life will be surprised to hear he had planned to join the Peace Corps as a volunteer in the Dominican Republic, an assignment canceled when President Lyndon B. Johnson sent the 82nd Airborne Division there instead. With the Vietnam War heating up, and expecting a draft notice, John enlisted in the Air Force. He became an officer and served on active duty from 1965-1971, working in intelligence and special operations, in Germany and in Southeast Asia. In the latter capacity, he logged over 1,000 combat flight hours in the air over North Vietnamese-controlled Laos, and was awarded multiple Air Medals. After returning from Southeast Asia, John transferred to the reserves and went to law school. He earned a JD from the California Western School of Law in San Diego, California, in 1974. During that time, while on a reserve tour at the Pentagon, he was recruited by the CIA. John served in the CIA from 1975-2002, mostly overseas, as a member of the Clandestine Service. He, Kathie, and their children spent about 20 years living in eight countries, mostly in Africa, some not known as "garden spots." No shrinking violet, John was blunt, creative, aggressive, and had a spark of wit. But he was not flashy. He was outspoken in support of his organization and his people, and effective with U.S. partners and against U.S. foes. In a crisis, he was the one you wanted. John retired as a member of the Senior Intelligence Service.