Harry H. Johnson
Encyclopedia
Harry Hubbard Johnson (11 April 1895 – 6 August 1987) was born in Glenflora, Texas, six miles from his later hometown of Eagle Lake, Texas
. He was the only son of Harry Stafford Johnson (September 17, 1873 Columbus, Texas - April 21, 1956 Eagle Lake, Texas) and Annie Bell Hubbard (Oct 14, 1873 Sealy, Texas - December 24, 1908 Eagle Lake, Texas).
His mother Annie died in 1908 when he was 13. His father later married Mamie Eggar (January 28, 1891 Corpus Christie, Texas - January 2, 1962 Runge, Texas) on January 28, 1912. They had three children: Robert Ellen Johnson (1913 - October, 1916), Frank Marshall Johnson (February 15, 1915 - January 31, 1976), and Richard Wayne Johnson (November 11, 1917 - November 1, 1919).
Johnson was sent to Camp Bowie, Texas on August 23, 1917, where he was made a Sergeant on September 7, 1917 with Company E, 141st Infantry
, 36th Division. He was promoted to Second Lieutenant on December 2, 1917 and commissioned on December 28, 1917. He was transferred to Camp Bullis
and was promoted to First Lieutenant on June 11, 1918.
Johnson served with the 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division in France. He left France on August 23, 1919 onboard the transport USS Marcia and arrived at Brooklyn, New York on September 2, 1919. He was Honorably Discharged on 16 October 1919 but failed to get a commission in the Officer's Reserve Corps.
From 1929 to 1940 he served with the 124th Cavalry Regiment. In October 1941 he was given command of the 112th Cavalry Regiment
.
, which was dismounted and performed various service and support functions in the North African Campaign
from February, 1943 to May, 1944. On June 5, 1944, he was appointed by President Roosevelt as the Military Governor of Rome. From August 1944 to September 1945 he was made commander of the all-black 93rd Infantry Division which performed service and support tasks in the New Guinea
-Philippines Campaign.
He served as Director of the Hoof and Mouth Commission in the Republic of Mexico from 1946?-1951?. The joint Mexico-U.S. commission produced 5,500,000 doses of vaccine and vaccinated over 3,500,000 animals in August, 1949.
Johnson retired from the Army Reserve in 1958.
Harry H. Johnson died on 6 Aug 1987 in Kerrville, Texas. He was buried on 11 Aug 1987 in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery
, San Antonio, Texas
.
They had four children:
Eagle Lake, Texas
Eagle Lake is a city in southeastern Colorado County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,664 at the 2000 census. It is home to a golf course, the largest private lake in Texas, and the Eagle Lake Regional Airport, which services light aircraft....
. He was the only son of Harry Stafford Johnson (September 17, 1873 Columbus, Texas - April 21, 1956 Eagle Lake, Texas) and Annie Bell Hubbard (Oct 14, 1873 Sealy, Texas - December 24, 1908 Eagle Lake, Texas).
His mother Annie died in 1908 when he was 13. His father later married Mamie Eggar (January 28, 1891 Corpus Christie, Texas - January 2, 1962 Runge, Texas) on January 28, 1912. They had three children: Robert Ellen Johnson (1913 - October, 1916), Frank Marshall Johnson (February 15, 1915 - January 31, 1976), and Richard Wayne Johnson (November 11, 1917 - November 1, 1919).
World War One
He attended Texas A&M College to study agriculture, but transferred to Tyler Community College after 2 years. He later graduated from Tyler with a degree in accounting in May, 1916. He attended the Officer Training Course at Leon Springs, Texas in May, 1917 and was assigned to the Aviation Ground School in Austin, Texas. When the call went out for recruits to fight in Europe, Johnson dropped out of flight school and enlisted in the Texas National Guard in August 10, 1917.Johnson was sent to Camp Bowie, Texas on August 23, 1917, where he was made a Sergeant on September 7, 1917 with Company E, 141st Infantry
141st Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 141st Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment in the United States Army. The lineage of the 141st includes units tracing origins to the Texas Revolution, such as Company A, First Texas, 1836, and other infantry companies of the First Texas formed in the 1870s and 1880s.-World War II:During...
, 36th Division. He was promoted to Second Lieutenant on December 2, 1917 and commissioned on December 28, 1917. He was transferred to Camp Bullis
Camp Bullis
Camp Bullis Military Training Reservation is a U.S. Army training camp located in Bexar County, Texas, just northwest of San Antonio, USA. The camp is named for Brigadier General John Lapham Bullis ,...
and was promoted to First Lieutenant on June 11, 1918.
Johnson served with the 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division in France. He left France on August 23, 1919 onboard the transport USS Marcia and arrived at Brooklyn, New York on September 2, 1919. He was Honorably Discharged on 16 October 1919 but failed to get a commission in the Officer's Reserve Corps.
Interwar Years
On August 9, 1920 he was commissioned in the Texas National Guard as a first lieutenant in the 3rd Texas Cavalry. He also had a job as a commissary foreman for the Gulf Production company. In January 1921 he was promoted to Captain in the 56th Cavalry Brigade, Texas National Guard and worked as an oil salesman for Gulf.From 1929 to 1940 he served with the 124th Cavalry Regiment. In October 1941 he was given command of the 112th Cavalry Regiment
112th Cavalry Regiment (United States)
The 112th Cavalry Regiment was a Texas National Guard Regiment that served in several Pacific campaigns during World War II.-Early history:...
.
World War Two
In 1942 he commanded the 7th and 8th Cavalry Regiments, 1st Cavalry Division. In 1943 he was promoted to Brigadier General. In 1944 he was promoted to Major General and made commander of the all-black 2nd Cavalry Division2nd Cavalry Division (United States)
-Heraldry:SHOULDER SLEEVE INSIGNIA*Description: On a yellow Norman shield with a green border, a blue chevron below two eight-pointed blue stars.*Blazon: Or, a chevron azure, in chief 2 mullets of eight points of the second, a bordure vert....
, which was dismounted and performed various service and support functions in the North African Campaign
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
from February, 1943 to May, 1944. On June 5, 1944, he was appointed by President Roosevelt as the Military Governor of Rome. From August 1944 to September 1945 he was made commander of the all-black 93rd Infantry Division which performed service and support tasks in the New Guinea
New Guinea campaign
The New Guinea campaign was one of the major military campaigns of World War II.Before the war, the island of New Guinea was split between:...
-Philippines Campaign.
Postwar career
Johnson worked as an executive for the Gulf Oil company after the war while remaining in the Army Reserve.He served as Director of the Hoof and Mouth Commission in the Republic of Mexico from 1946?-1951?. The joint Mexico-U.S. commission produced 5,500,000 doses of vaccine and vaccinated over 3,500,000 animals in August, 1949.
Johnson retired from the Army Reserve in 1958.
Harry H. Johnson died on 6 Aug 1987 in Kerrville, Texas. He was buried on 11 Aug 1987 in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery
Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery
Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery in the city of San Antonio in Bexar County, Texas. It encompasses , and as of the end of 2008, had 120,982 interments.- History :...
, San Antonio, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
Family
Johnson married Rose Mathilda "Mimi" Morisseau (11 Nov 1894 - 2 Feb 1977) in Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas on 5 Jun 1923.They had four children:
- Rosemary Virginia Johnson (8 Feb 1925 Fort Worth, Texas - 31 Jan 1997 Houston, Texas)
- Harry Hubbard Johnson Jr. (11 Nov 1927 Eastland, Texas - 12 Nov 1981 San Antonio, Texas) MajorMajorMajor is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
, US Army. - Jacob Pyron Johnson (12 May 1931 Midland, Texas. - d?)
- Richard Stafford Johnson (20 June 1933 Midland, Texas - 8 Feb 1999 San Antonio, Texas) Lieutenant-Colonel, US Army.