Comfort Birds: A Story Behind a Model

John Jones – LCDR USN Ret – Creator of Comfort Birds

What began as a routine customer enquiry turned into something far more meaningful.

When John Jones contacted our customer services team about his USS Constitution model, the conversation quickly moved beyond delivery details. As he shared more about his project, a remarkable story began to unfold.

John is building the USS Constitution – his first wooden ship model. The subject is a fitting one: he previously helped author Around the World in Old Ironsides: The Voyage of USS Constitution, 1844–1846, with research conducted at the Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, Virginia – home to one of the largest maritime history collections in the Western Hemisphere.

His connection to the ship is not only academic, but deeply personal. After 20 years of service in the US Navy, John retired with the rank of Lieutenant Commander. In honour of his retirement, the Commanding Officer of the USS Constitution held a “breaking the colours” ceremony – where a flag is unfurled in tribute – aboard the ship in Boston. That flag now sits in a shadow box on his mantlepiece.

Today, John’s focus has shifted from naval service to supporting others.

He hand-carves what he calls “Comfort Birds” – small wooden forms designed to help veterans experiencing mental health challenges. Made from woods such as cherry, mahogany, sapele, and black walnut, each bird is shaped to sit in the palm of the hand.

During counselling sessions, individuals are encouraged to focus on the bird’s texture, weight, and form – anchoring their attention in the present moment. The birds can then be carried daily, offering a tactile way to regain a sense of calm when thoughts become overwhelming. Each one is engraved with a simple message:
“Crisis Lifeline – Call 988.”

To date, more than 1,000 Comfort Birds have been distributed across VA hospitals, emergency services, therapists, and veteran communities throughout Virginia and North Carolina.

Each bird takes around three hours to carve by hand. Materials are generously donated by Woodcraft in Norfolk, while a network of local organisations – including the Hampton Roads Ship Model Society, Tidewater woodworkers’ groups, and veterans’ associations – help support John’s work.

He describes the process as his “sawdust therapy.”

After multiple deployments in conflict zones, John lives with lasting psychological trauma, as well as serious health issues linked to chemical exposure. Following a second career teaching special needs students for 25 years, he has now retired due to the long-term effects of cancer treatment.

His work is also shaped by personal loss – having lost two close individuals to suicide – and by a family history of military service spanning generations.

Despite all this, his focus remains outward: creating something simple, tactile, and quietly powerful for those who need it most.

We were honoured to hear John’s story, and even more so to share it. It’s a reminder that behind every model, every project, every order, there can be a story far greater than we expect.