John Wesley Johnson was born on September 10, 1924, in Montgomery, TN, the son of Lloyd Minnis Johnson and Drama Lee Mackey. He was the oldest of seven children. John enlisted on December 31, 1943, in Fort Oglethorpe, GA
He was killed in action on December 14, 1944. He was initially buried at the American War Cemetery Henri-Chapelle in Belgium.
Buried on December 1, 1947, in Knoxville National Cemetery (Section B Site 6790)
The Knoxville Journal, January 7, 1945
Pvt. John W. Johnson, 20, was killed in action Dec. 14 in Germany, the War Department notified his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Johnson of Route 12, Fountain City. In his last letter, dated Dec. 8, Private Johnson wrote his parents: “I won’t enjoy Christmas this year dodging bullets and 88’s. I hope you all have a nice Christmas and happy New Year. I need the trench knife now, and will really be proud of it. So far, I have received two of my packages, and hope the others come soon. Maybe next year we can all be at home – I hope we can.”
Entering service in January, 1944, he had been overseas since July. A member of Black Oak Ridge Baptist Church, he attended Hall’s High School, and has one brother, Paul in the Army in Florida.
- Rank: Private
- Date of birth: 10 September 1924
- Date of death: 14 December 1944
- County: Knox
- Hometown: Fountain City
- Service Branch: Army/Army Air Forces
- Division/Assignment: Infantry
- Theater: Europe
- Conflict: World War II
- Awards: Purple Heart
- Burial/Memorial Location: Knoxville National Cemetery, Knoxville, Knox County, TN
- Location In Memorial: Pillar VIII, Top Panel
- Sponsored by: Roy and Alice Kruse, Delbert Johnson
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