SGT George Dwight Johnson

courtesy of Bessie Savery

SGT George Dwight Johnson was born in 7 Oct 1924 in Roanoke, Virginia the oldest son of Dr. George Dwight and Florence (McCloskey) Johnson.  His father was a general practitioner or "family" doctor and his grandfather Johnson had been a doctor as well.  Dr. Johnson died of a heart attack 23 Dec 1936.  After his father's death his mother became an insurance "sales lady" to support herself and her 2 sons.  She re-married 15 Jan 1941, to Lewis Spence Jones.

George may have "fudged" his age to enlist in the Roanoke national guard unit because his birth year is shown as 1922 when he was federalized as a PFC in his unit in February 1941. As such, PFC Johnson took part with D Company 116th Infantry in training at Fort George Meade, Maryland and Camp Blanding, Florida before being sent to England in September 1942.  In England he participated in all the amphibious landing preparation and it was during this time that he was promoted to SGT.  SGT Johnson was killed in action on 6 Jun 1944 as his unit made the amphibious assault at Omaha beach on the shores of France. 

SGT Johnson is buried in the Normandy American Cemetery.