Josh was a 27 year old Army Ranger and Captain taking a career course at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma when his whole world was turned upside down. Back pain, that he thought was something routine turned out to be Neuroendocrine cancer. Josh went from being on top of the world with a promising Army career and engaged to be married to a diagnosis of about a year to live.

He transferred to Walter Reed Hospital in Washington D.C. immediately for treatment. His engagement was broken off and he began chemotherapy. After the initial round of chemo failed he was given 6 months to live. Depressed and near rock bottom Josh found the Ulman Cancer Foundation thru their young adult support group at Walter Reed.

Josh allowed himself to be placed in a clinical trial for his very aggressive cancer. The trial showed promise in slowing the cancer and Josh was able to stabilize his life. Starting with his involvement at Ulman the rest of Josh’s life was filled with outreach to others with Cancer and/or Military causes. Thru Ulman he participated in the Key to Keys ride from Baltimore to Key West multiple times. This ride while therapeutic for the riders also involved stops at facilities along the route to encourage others. Josh began to be a go to resource for others who came into Walter Reed using his experience to help them ‘learn the ropes’ and get settled in. This included writing a document to be given to new patients.

Josh also participated, while undergoing more chemo on the Ruck to Remember, a 60 mile ruck march in 60 hours ending at Arlington Cemetery on Memorial Day. This event supported Wounded Warrior and other military causes. Josh was engaged with other causes in both the cancer and military communities while his condition was gradually worsening.

Eventually Josh began taking a second clinical trial drug, becoming the first person in the United States to take the drug. Josh willingly endured additional testing on a regular basis to allow the doctors to learn all they could from what he was going thru. Eventually, his cancer continued to grow and after several months of severe diarrhea and trips in and out of the hospital Josh passed away, over 5 years after his initial diagnosis of a year to live.

Links About Josh Minton

  • Josh Minton's K2K Fundraising Page (Self-Written)

  • Josh's Story at the Ulman Foundation

  • Josh Minton Interview with Thermofisher Scientific

  • First Patient Treated With Next-Generation Immunotherapy at UC

  • Foundation in honor of Elmwood graduate offers hunting experience

  • Cancer Knows No Age Limit: Young Adults and Their Challenges

  • News and Notes for the Carcinoid and Neuroendocrine Tumor Community, April 2016

Josh bought what he called the “Minton Lodge” upon his medical retirement from the U.S. Army. He always had a passion for hunting and the outdoors and had been looking at properties for some time as he prepared for life after the military. He bought the Lodge because he wanted to be able to entertain friends and family. Sadly, before he could do a lot of entertaining his cancer became too advanced to complete his vision for all the decorating of the property. Josh’s parents, Bob and Sally Minton took over the lodge, not sure how to best maintain and use it. After much thought and discussion with friends and family the Josh Minton Foundation was started. One of the main goals for the Foundation is to use the Lodge for therapeutic retreats for folks in the Cancer and Military community. We know Josh would want the property to be used for a great cause like this and feel like this is the best way we can honor his legacy. The property will also be available for use by Airbnb, family and friends with any proceeds going to help provide no cost retreats for those in need.

With much help from family and friends a lot of remodeling and final decorating was done for the Lodge. Rooms were done in honor of Josh’s passions. His bedroom was left primarily as it was when he passed. He was a life long Alabama football fan as displayed in the Alabama room. The West Point/Army room pays homage to his days playing rugby at West Point and his time in the 173rd Airborne Brigade and the Army in general. Josh was known to many friends and family as our ‘Captain America’, hence the Captain American room which also includes his Ruck to Remember days. The master bedroom honors his connection to the Ulman Cancer Foundation including his ‘Honor Bike’. The hallway is lined with many of his jerseys from the Key To Keys ride. The main living areas are kept as he left them with pictures of family and friends as well as other military memorabilia.

Josh loved his family, his friends and his country. His love for his country can best be described by his answers to a nurse in the last couple months of his life. His nurse asked if he had been in Afghanistan, to which Josh answered “yes”. She followed up and asked if it was hard and if he was scared. Josh simply answered her by saying “No ma’am, I was born to do it”. That pretty much sums up Josh.