About Izmaco
Izmaco investors are a diversified network of veterans and citizens, a collective family dedicated to a common purpose: supporting our active military and veterans with off-base housing they deserve.
The Journey to Izmaco
John Morgan never really had a single place to call home. Home was wherever the family was stationed, and that changed a lot! John knows the struggles of relocating from the perspective of a child, and from the perspective of a parent. Those perspectives inform his choices in investment properties.
When he entered the Marines, rather than indulge in the cars, high tech and other toys that entice, he started investing. Each month he put a little more away, learning everything he could about investing. His work in military intelligence gave him an eye for detail. Autodidactic, disciplined and determined, he learned the market, using his own money, time and intelligence.
It paid off.
Being a Marine teaches self-discipline. It informs planning, organization, and leadership, all while teaching a person how to remain laser-focused in a crisis. That stalwart of purpose, absent emotion, keeps the goal in sight, and forms the necessary predictability for sound investment.
With these tools, John took a modest sergeant’s salary, invested a portion of it and grew it into over $600,000 in thirteen years. Using his seed money, John curated a portfolio of cottages, duplexes and ranch homes that fit the specific needs of active service families: close to the base, schools and shopping, but also clean, in secure neighborhoods with modern conveniences.
That portfolio doubled his original return. After speaking with other veterans, he realized many were eager to help. Izmaco veteran investors needed to know their money was making a difference in the lives of those continuing in the tradition of service, and felt a duty to do something virtuous for virtue’s sake. Thus, Izmaco Investments was born.
Get to Know John Morgan, Izmaco CEO & Founder
Born in Anchorage, Alaska, John Morgan SSgt, is a third-generation member of the United States military. John completed a bachelor’s degree in political science at the University of Central Missouri, and then joined the Marines.
Okinawa, Japan was his first duty station where he served as an intelligence specialist after completing training in Military Occupational Specialties. Additional deployments include one tour in Karmah, Iraq, and two to Kandahar and Helmand, Afghanistan. John was selected to join the Marine Corps Embassy Security Group as a guard for the US State Department, serving in Cairo, Egypt (during the Arab Spring), Moscow, Russia, and in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Upon leaving the service, John reinvested his expertise in strategic development, team leadership, and project management into service to his community. Izmaco is the product of that passion.
Meet Izmaco’s Founding Inspiration
John Cary “Red” Morgan, (August 24, 1914 – January 17, 1991)
The Medal of Honor is the United States government’s most prestigious military award, with only 3,530 awarded since 1861. To earn it, requires acts of uncommon bravery and valor. The inspiration behind Izmaco is one of these rare recipients, our founder John Morgan’s grandfather and WWII pilot, John Cary “Red” Morgan.
On July 28, 1943, Ruthie II co-pilot Morgan and crew departed for a bombing run over Hannover, Germany. As they approached the German coast in the B-17, the German Luftwaffe attacked, shooting into the cockpit. The interphone took a bullet, and another hit pilot, Lt. Robert Campbell in the stomach. Bullets pummeled the tail section, knocking out the oxygen system in the rear of the plane supplying the gunners. As the Germans retreated, Morgan wasthe only person left conscious, and he took control. Rather than return to base and without communications, he chose to continue the mission, caring for and securing the badly injured pilot. Against the odds, he successfully delivered his load to the targets in Hannover.
By the time he reached RAF Foulsham, his plane was running on fumes. Unfortunately, Lt. Campbell would succumb to his injuries. However, the rest of the crew would recover and continue the fight. It is for this action he was awarded the Medal of Honor.
After the war, Red would receive another uniquely American honor, having the character of 2nd Lt. Jesse Bishop in the novel and film Twelve O’clock High created in his image!
It is in the spirit, courage and dedication modeled by Red Morgan that Izmaco was founded and continues to build upon today.
About the name and logo
Izmaco is spelled from the first two letters of the name of three of John’s beloved bulldogs: Izzy, Mae and Coco. The name Izmaco, and the breed bulldog, embody the mission of Izmaco.
Bulldogs have a long history, symbolizing determination and defiance during WWII, to their unwavering loyalty, perseverance and protection of family. Their origin is believed to be around the 7th century, with the modern version of the breed coming about during the 1600s. Originally bred as work dogs in England, bulldogs were prized for their ability to keep horses, cattle, boar and other large animals in line. This evolved into the now banned sport of bull-baiting, in which a single bulldog was able to bring down a full-grown bull 10X its weight on its own. Winston Churchill made bulldogs patriotically iconic during WWII, and today they’re one of the most beloved breeds in the world.
As a totem, bulldogs are prized for their ability to bring people together and to be unnoticed until needed. They represent the fortitude of security, the comfort of family and community. Bulldogs define strength and stability, and are the mascot for the US Marine Corps, Georgia State, MAC trucks, and of course, Izmaco.
