Capt. John Kelly served faithfully as a Marine.
“He enlisted right after he graduated high school at 18,” Kelly’s son Orion said. “He did so to serve the country and also to help his parents provide for his (five younger) brothers and sisters.”
Kelly’s decorated 10-year career included two tours in Vietnam, where he flew in an F-4 Phantom as a radar intercept officer.
Even after he began civilian life, Kelly’s dedication never wavered.
“He was a man that really embodied the spirit of helping others before himself,” his son said. “He was a volunteer firefighter for over 20 years. When my mother was hurt, he took the role of sole provider.”
The Reading High School string orchestra performs the national anthem during a Rolling Remembrance stop at the Papa Johns on the North Fifth Street Highway, Reading, on Friday, May 8, 2026. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
In 2019 — after a nine-year battle with brain cancer — John Kelly died.
His family said exposure to Agent Orange while serving in Vietnam contributed to his condition.
Kelly’s spirit of service and sacrifice were honored by his children and others during the 10th annual Rolling Remembrance tour’s stop Friday at Papa Johns on North Fifth Street in Reading.
As part of the tour, PepsiCo drivers carry an American flag 14,000 miles across the U.S., making 64 stops at PepsiCo and partners’ facilities, including Papa Johns.
The flag at the event Friday was handled by driver Bryan Kohler, who served as a combat engineer in Operation Desert Storm.
Rolling Remembrance is the product of a partnership involving PepsiCo, Papa Johns and the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation, which covers the cost of college for children of veterans who suffer duty-related deaths.
Those who benefited from Children of Fallen Patriots funding include Orion and Alexis Kelly, both of whom graduated from Temple University.
Shari Kelly said Children of Fallen Patriots covered the entire cost of college tuition for her kids.
“They provided us the support that we really needed at the time,” Alexis said. “They allowed me to grieve without worrying about the financial strain of college.”
Alexis graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s in marketing and will finish her postgraduate schooling at Temple’s Beasley School of Law in May.
She said she will be working at a company that does cancer research.
This year’s Rolling Remembrance tour raised more than $3 million to support Children of Fallen Patriots.
Nearly 25,000 children have lost a parent in the line of duty in the last 35 years, according to Children of Fallen Patriots.
The nonprofit’s efforts have provided more than $105 million in scholarships to Gold Star students nationwide, according to the Children of Fallen Patriots website.
At the event, Papa Johns and PepsiCo donated an additional $5,000 to Children of Fallen Patriots.
“None of what we do is possible without the support of incredible organizations,” noted Steve Smith, an Army veteran and corporate development officer with Children of Fallen Patriots.
Reading Mayor Eddie Moran and representatives from the Berks County Office of Veteran Affairs attended the event.
Members of Reading High School’s Marine Corps Junior ROTC held an opening and closing ceremony, and the school band played at the event.
“We come here not only to honor him (John Kelly) but the 1.1 million Americans who laid down their lives so that we can enjoy this beautiful day,” said Jay Ostrich, director of Berks County Veteran Affairs. “Death is not the worst of evils. The worst of evils is to forget.”
Papa Johns representatives noted that the company is holding a coupon discount promotion until June 30, where a portion of the sales will benefit Children of Fallen Patriots.