Old Man's War

John is the primary protagonist and point-of-view character in Old Man’s War. At the start of the novel, he turns 75 and joins the Colonial Defense Force (CDF), an army dedicated to colonizing the universe for humans. Just before leaving Earth for the last time, he says goodbye to his wife, Katherine, at her gravesite. The two signed up for the military when they were 65, as is common for humans who want a new chance at life. However, she died a few years before her 75th birthday. John leaves behind his son, Charlie, and his grandson, and spends the last year saying goodbye to his few friends, as he knows that after his military service, he will not be allowed to return to Earth.

One of John’s primary character traits is his practicality. From the moment he leaves his wife’s grave and Earth without much regret, it is clear that he is very pragmatic in his decision-making. For instance, it is rumored that the CDF makes old humans young again to allow them to fight, but no one has ever met a CDF soldier to know if or how it is done. Despite this, John pursues fighting in the CDF, believing that even the chance at a new life is better than dying on Earth of old age.