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About Us
Born out of love and loss, Operation: Talk 2 Me Johnny began in May 2023, 18 months after Sgt. John R. Little, CD died by suicide. Doing nothing with this tragedy wasn’t an option for us. That’s not who John was and it wasn’t who we were going to be for him either. So we started a non-profit foundation in his honour with a goal of being the loudest voice in the room, helping to raise up other voices and to share the dollars we raise with organizations who are doing tremendous things for those battling with mental health.
The early years
John Ross Little was the second of three children born to John and Sharon Little on August 7, 1985. Growing up on a small farm in Wyoming, ON John loved being outside building forts, fishing and dirt biking. He enjoyed all sports and played hockey and soccer in the local communities.
He also thoroughly enjoyed the arts. Often being the leading role in plays presented by South Plympton Public School he had a propensity for acting which served him well both as the class clown and later as a jokester in the military ranks. He was a tremendous artist and loved to play the guitar.
Military Career
After completing his testing John was inducted into the military on 16 December 2003. Upon completion he joined the ranks of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry ("PPCLI") and was stationed in Edmonton, Alberta.
While John wasn't always a fan of the institution, he was a very proud and loyal member of the PPCLI, a true infantry man at heart. He believed fiercely in serving his country no matter the cause. John completed two tours to Afghanistan, Roto 1-08 and Roto 3-09. During the second tour, he had the pleasure of being stationed with war correspondent Adam Day of Legion Magazine. In the series "The Struggle for Salavat" Mr. Day was able to capture John on paper in a way that showed a true understanding of John and his character along with respect. John thought of Adam as a friend after their time on the battlefield together and was heartbroken by Adam's own death in 2017. You can read the five part series of "The Struggle for Salavat" here:
In 2015, John moved on from Edmonton joining the Grey & Simcoe Foresters in Owen Sound before being stationed at the base in Meaford, ON. In 2021, John began transitioning out of the military for medical reasons and was set to be retired in January 2023, a day that he would not live to see.
Fatherhood
John's love of the military and service to his country was only surpassed by one thing, his love of family and in particular his sons Jack, Josh, Austin and Morgan.
John became a dad for the first time in 2011 when Jack was born. From that day on his life was forever changed as everything he did was dedicated to his love for these little men. He took immense pride in being there for his sons at every opportunity. They shared a passion for being outside, cheering for the leafs, and playing video games.
A Legacy
"I never saw Johnny’s face without a smile. He always had a wise crack, a joke or blasphemy filled rant, delivered in a higher voice for no other reason than to cheer the rest of us up. [...] We both knew what he was willing to sacrifice for no other reason than to give a brother some company. That was the kind of man that John was, if you were a brother, he had your back. John didn’t stop to worry about what the consequence would be for himself. [...] There was nobody who I would rather have beside me when the chips were down. John was a great soldier (as long as you weren’t having to tell him what to do), a great father and a great man. John was more than my friend. John was my brother."
- Greg Hawes
No one can prepare you for the day you receive the call that your 36 year old son, brother, father and friend has died at their own hand. The tragedy of suicide is felt immensely by the family members of first responders and veterans, and our family was not spared from this.
Doing nothing with this tragedy wasn’t an option for us. That’s not who John was and it wasn’t who we were going to be for him either. In May 2023 we took the step to formalize his legacy and created Operation: Talk 2 Me Johnny; a non-profit foundation with a goal of being the loudest voice in the room, helping to raise up other voices and to share the dollars we raise with organizations who are doing tremendous things for those battling with mental health.
In The News:
Article: Talk to me Johnny
Shortly After John passed this article was written by a friend of his, published in the Havock Journal and posted to his Facebook page. The title of this article was the inspiration for the foundation's name.
An article written by Natalia Vega for CK News Today.ca outlining our inaugural event the T2MJ Ruck in 2023.
An article written by Paul Morden for the Sarnia Observer about our inaugural event the T2MJ Ruck in 2023.