Dave Johnson in the Great War, 1918-1919

Postcard from the Great War, owned by David B. Johnson

In a little over a week from now our nation will be commemorating the centennial of the US entering into the Great War, now known as the First World War.   While the war raged in Europe since 1914 the United States, led by President Woodrow Wilson remained in a neutral position for several years.  Following the German U-boats sinking of several American vessels in the Atlantic, neutrality was no longer possible and on April 2, 1917 Wilson addressed Congress and asked for a Declaration of War against Germany.  Upon the affirmative votes in the Senate followed by the House of Representatives, the United States went to war on April 6, 1917.  The war continued to rage until November 11, 1918, which was known as Armistice Day for generations and is now celebrated at Veteran’s Day here in the US.  Ultimately, 4.7 million American’s would serve in the Army and Navy during the war with approximately 120,000 killed in action. 

David B. Johnson, 1918 USS Georgia

Serving in the armed forces was a hard decision in many parts of the United States, given that there were large numbers of American’s of German descent living in both urban and rural communities, they often experienced divided loyalties.  The maternal side of my family lived in one of those communities where the German language was still being taught alongside English in many of the rural one-roomed school houses in northeastern Jackson County, Michigan.  However,  patriotism ran deep in the Johnson family and they would send two of their son’s off to fight for the US and the Allies.

Dave's New Testament
during his time in the Navy

David and Nina Johnson lived in Leoni Township and by time the US entered the war they had six children at home.  Two would go off to war.  First, their eldest son, John Vernon Johnson (1898-1970) would serve in Battery B of the 21^st Field Artillery Unit, which had just recently been organized.  John would attain the rank of Sergeant by the time he was discharged and sent back home.  Then their second son David Benjamin Johnson (1900-1967) would volunteer.  Although Dave was only seventeen at the time, he lied about his age and stated that he was born a year earlier. David B. Johnson would enlist in the US Navy on 22 March 1918 for 4 years of service in Cincinnati, Ohio.  A description of him at the time indicates he was 5 foot 9 inches tall, weight 175 lbs., had blue eyes, brown hair, and a Rudy complexion.  He was then sent to the Great Lakes Naval Training Station, located just north of Chicago and then to the Naval Operations Base at Norfolk, Virginia where on 24 May 1918 he was assigned about the USS Georgia, a Virginia-class battleship that was constructed at the Bath Iron Works in Maine.  The USS Georgia was commissioned in 1906.  During the war the Georgia would serve in the Atlantic Fleet mainly as a convoy escort for the many vessels that were transporting American Troops to France.  Dave would be ranked as a Firemen 2^nd Class while on the Georgia.  

 

USS Georgia at Brest, France in June, 1919

Brest, France was one of the main ports of entries and exits for the American Troops.  We know that Dave was on the USS Georgia in Brest on at least two occasions, December, 1918 and June, 1919.  His assignment on the USS Georgia ended on June 28, 1919.  Following his service on the Georgia, he would be assigned to the USS Florida as his final vessel during his service, but this was a short 2 month assignment and it isn’t known to me what activity he may have been engaged during that time.  Ultimately, Dave was discharged from the US Navy on 7 August 1919 at the Naval Demobilization Center in Pittsburgh, PA, where he was given $16.55 for his transportation back home to Jackson, Michigan.

Souvenir post card from France, 1918

While no correspondence survives from the time Dave served in the Navy, we are fortunate that there are a number of photographs and official documents that he kept to from his war service and they help us peak into his world as a Navy man.  Once Dave returned home, we know that he went back to work as a farm hand and also worked for short periods of time on the Michigan Central Railroad.  But work was difficult to find following the war and by 1922, Dave re-enlisted in the service, this time into the U. S. Army, where he would be stationed at the Schofield Barracks in Hawaii for several years.

We here in the United States are very fortunate that our service members saw such a brief period of the Great War.  Other members of the Allies, and also those of the Central Powers, experienced huge loss of lives and many soldiers that did return home were diagnosed with "shell shock," what we know of today as "post traumatic stress syndrome." So many peoples lives were devastated during this conflict, both physically and emotionally.

 John and David Johnson were fortunate to be able to return home to their families and to adjust to life after war with few major problems.  We are all thankful because they both established new generations of our family.   Thank you for your willingness to serve and know that we remember!

David B. Johnson's Discharge Papers, 1919