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William Jordan, barber at the Marine Mart aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico, gives Capt. Travis Perkins a haircut Feb. 29. Jordan will retire March 24 after 55 years on the job.

Photo by Adele Uphaus-Conner

After 55 years at Mainside Barber Shop, William Jordan is hanging up the clippers

10 Mar 2016 | Adele Uphaus-Conner Marine Corps Base Quantico

In half a century, William Jordan, barber at the Marine Mart aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico, has called out sick only twice — once for eye surgery and once for a bad reaction he had to a medication.

After giving hundreds of thousands of high-and-tights and building up a clientele of active duty and retired Marines who will not allow any other barber to cut their hair, Jordan will retire March 24.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do now,” said retired Marine Jimmy Baker. Jordan has cut his hair since 1967, when Baker was first posted to MCBQ. These days, he comes in from Woodbridge once a month.

“Any time I was stationed here, I came back to him,” Baker said. “He knows exactly how I like my hair cut — I never have to tell him.”

“I’m going to have withdrawal pains,” said retired Marine Mark Hayden, who lives in Stafford and comes to Jordan once a month. “He was one of the barbers here when I went through [Officer Candidates School] in 1970. Whenever I was stationed here I’d come back and get great haircuts.”

Jordan was 21 when he came to MCBQ from Jacksonville, North Carolina. His first day on the job was March 15, 1961. Marine Corps Community Services provided him with housing on Base when he first arrived. He lives in Dale City now.

Jordan says that to him, the Base hasn’t changed that much in 55 years, except that there are more people and more cars. But what’s at its core — the Marines posted here — is the same.

“The Marines have always been nice to me,” Jordan said. “To me they’re like a family. They’ve always treated me well. And the Base has always been fair to me.”

The only thing that has changed about his job is that the Base no longer permits razors to be used. Jordan uses trimmers with guard numbers of 0 to 3, which leaves hair between 1/20 and 3/8 of an inch long.

Many Marines, such as Capt. Travis Perkins, come to Jordan for haircuts once a week.

“I come for the fellowship and mentorship,” Perkins said. “Mr. Bill has all the words of wisdom.”

Jordan said that talking to Marines — “meeting good people” — is his favorite part of the job.

“I speak to them and I try to get them to be open-minded,” he said.

One of his preferred topics is his beloved Redskins. Another is former Commandant Gen. Alfred M. Gray (whose hair he once cut).

“Gen. Gray went from enlisted to Commandant,” Jordan said. “I tell all Marines, if he made it, you can too. You can do all things.”

Signed portraits of many prominent Marine clients — including current Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Ronald L. Green, 16th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Peter Pace, and many more — cover the walls of Jordan’s shop.

“Thank you for 20+ years of friendship and haircuts,” reads one.

“Thank you for years of dedicated service, role model, mentor and friend,” reads another.

Jordan said he decided to retire because his legs have started to give him problems.

“I know the more I put it off, the more it will bother me,” he said. “I have to take care of myself.”

He is looking forward to getting himself healthy, spending time with his son, six daughters and 14 grandchildren, working on his house, and volunteering at his church, Star of Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church, where he’s a trustee.

But he said he’ll miss his job.

“I miss it already,” he said. “No doubt about it, it’s hard to go. If I didn’t have to do it, I wouldn’t.”

“I’m just so grateful that [the Marines] put their trust in me and let me serve this long,” he continued. “I appreciate it.”

— Writer: auphausconner@quanticosentryonline.com
Marine Corps Base Quantico