William R. Johnson was born on November 17, 1919 in the city of Seattle, King County, Washington to Carl Arthur Johnson and Mary Rae Johnson, nee Murdoch. William had one older sister, Dorothy M. Johnson. The family lived in Seattle, where Carl worked as a truck driver for a mattress company. Carl Johnson died in 1933 of heart disease. In 1940, William lived with his mother and sister in Seattle and worked as a warehouseman.

William Roy Johnson registered for the draft on July 1, 1941. He was 21 years old, 6’ tall, and weighed 160 pounds. He had blonde hair, blue eyes, and a light complexion. He was employed by the Bremerton Navy Yard. William was inducted into the United States Army on May 22, 1942 at Ft. Lewis, Washington. He was single, without dependents, and had a high school education. His occupation was sheet metal worker. William married Myrtle Maybelle Mays on June 8, 1942 in King County, Washington.

Private William R. Johnson served in Company F, 355th Infantry Regiment, 89th Infantry Division. The 355th landed at Le Havre, France in January 1945. In March, it was ordered to the front near Speicher, Germany. The unit crossed the Rhine at the village of Sankt Goarhausen on March 24, 1945. The 1st Battalion (Task Force Johnson) was directed to proceed north toward the town of Boppard. On March 27th, they ran into resistance at the small village of Kestert. Private William R. Johnson was killed in action on March 28, 1945.

The Silver Star was posthumously awarded to William R. Johnson for gallantry in action in Germany. He defended litter bearers who were attending his wounded patrol leader. The citation read, “Overwhelmed and questioned by the enemy, he was observed steadfastly to refuse to speak.” Johnson’s body was recovered the next day.

Private Johnson’s remains were returned to the United States in 1948 and reinterred in the Washington Memorial Park, SeaTac, King County, Washington. Besides the Silver Star, he was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart. William’s son, Robert William Johnson, was born in February 1945, one month before his father’s death.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project

(see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to

write the stories of all 421,000+ of the US WWII fallen saved on Together We Served

and Fold3. Can you help write these stories? These stories will be accessible

via smartphone app at any war memorial or cemetery.

If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute to it, please contact me at clock902@aol.com.

SBTSProject/Washington/King County

Sources:

WWII Army and Army Air Force Casualty List, https://www.fold3.com/image/310763532?rec=299423630

Findagrave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/115593446/william-r-johnson

Scandinavian American, 01 Jun 1945, Fri · Page 14, https://www.newspapers.com/image/901064503?utm_source=fold3.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Fold3&_gl=1*1i1ojsq*_ga*MTc4MzU0Njg5OS4xNjQ5ODg0OTQw*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTY5MTEwNzk2NS40MTguMS4xNjkxMTA3OTgyLjQzLjAuMA..

WWII Army Enlistment Records, https://www.fold3.com/record/91047199/william-r-johnson-wwii-army-enlistment-records

1920 United States Federal Census, https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/6061/images/4392029_01004?pId=93883515&_gl=1*1ayzj3y*_ga*MTc4MzU0Njg5OS4xNjQ5ODg0OTQw*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTY5MTEwNzk2NS40MTguMS4xNjkxMTA4MDQ0LjQxLjAuMA..

1930 United States Federal Census, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/111792199:6224?_gl=1*1ayzj3y*_ga*MTc4MzU0Njg5OS4xNjQ5ODg0OTQw*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTY5MTEwNzk2NS40MTguMS4xNjkxMTA4MDQ0LjQxLjAuMA..

1940 United States Federal Census, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/64133461:2442?_gl=1*1ayzj3y*_ga*MTc4MzU0Njg5OS4xNjQ5ODg0OTQw*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTY5MTEwNzk2NS40MTguMS4xNjkxMTA4MDQ0LjQxLjAuMA..

Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1861-1985, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/221646:2375?_gl=1*1i9enmx*_ga*MTc4MzU0Njg5OS4xNjQ5ODg0OTQw*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTY5MTEwNzk2NS40MTguMS4xNjkxMTA4MDQ0LjQxLjAuMA..

Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-1970, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/16672230:61048?_gl=1*1i9enmx*_ga*MTc4MzU0Njg5OS4xNjQ5ODg0OTQw*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTY5MTEwNzk2NS40MTguMS4xNjkxMTA4MDQ0LjQxLjAuMA..

Rhine Crossing: The Attack of the 89th Division, https://89infdivww2.org/combat/rhine5.htm

The Seattle Daily Times, Monday, Sep 03, 1945, Seattle, WA, Page: 18, https://www.genealogybank.com/doc/newspapers/image/v2%3A127D718D1E33F961%40GB3NEWS-12A7B7AB7B476F49%402431702-12A35F64AB9E7AC6%4017-12A35F64AB9E7AC6%40?h=7&fname=william%20r.&lname=johnson&fullname=&rgfromDate=1945&rgtoDate=1949&formDate=&formDateFlex=exact&dateType=range&kwinc=myrtle&kwexc=&sid=kxyessnihyiedabngirrotzcxbkehbkm_wma-gateway013_1691102140206

Washington, County Marriages, 1855-2008, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPMK-BW4C

Washington, U.S., Birth Index, 1907-1920, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/669889:6493?_gl=1*1qmv3qs*_ga*MTc4MzU0Njg5OS4xNjQ5ODg0OTQw*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTY5MTEwNzk2NS40MTguMS4xNjkxMTA4Mjg4LjExLjAuMA..

World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/36912402:2238?_gl=1*1qmv3qs*_ga*MTc4MzU0Njg5OS4xNjQ5ODg0OTQw*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTY5MTEwNzk2NS40MTguMS4xNjkxMTA4Mjg4LjExLjAuMA..

William R Johnson