William Aloysius Johnson
PFC William A. Johnson served with Dog Company, First Battalion, 25th Marines.
He was killed in action at Ennuebing (Jacob Island), Kwajalein atoll, on 31 January 1944.
Branch
Marine Corps Regular
Service Number 810927
Current Status
Remains Not Recovered
Pursuit Category
The DPAA has not publicized this information.
Capsule History
Pre-War Life
Birth
April 20, 1924
at St. Louis, MO
Parents
John Aloysius Johnson
Jeanette (Dombrowski) Johnson
Education
St. Louis Central High School
Occupation & Employer
Clerk
Cluett, Peabody & Company
Service Life
Entered Service
January 29, 1943
at St. Louis, MO
Home Of Record
2712 North 13th Street
St. Louis, MO
Next Of Kin
Mother, Mrs. Jeanette Johnson
Military Specialty
Ammunition Carrier (504)
Primary Unit
25th Marines (D/1)
Campaigns Served
Marshall Islands / North Kwajalein
Individual Decorations
Purple Heart
Additional Service Details
—
Loss And Burial
Circumstances Of Loss
On 31 January 1944, the First Battalion, 25th Marines made the first combat landings in the history of the 4th Marine Division with an amphibious assault on a series of small islands in northern Kwajalein. Baker Company, under Captain Edward L. Asbill, was ordered to conquer Ennuebing (codenamed “Jacob” Island) and eliminate any Japanese resistance, clearing the way for Marine artillery batteries to set up shop.
Baker Company’s riflemen had a platoon of heavy machine gunners from Dog Company, 25th Marines, attached for the operation. One squad of these men had the misfortune to be aboard an LVT(2) that was caught in heavy surf and capsized, dumping them and their equipment into the water. While most managed to shed their heavy gear and swim to shore, Privates First Class Wallace Lukaszewski and William A. Johnson were drowned.
While Lukaszewski’s body was recovered and buried on the island, Johnson was “discovered floating under circumstances which prevented bringing [him] ashore for burial.” His remains were lost at sea.
Burial Information or Disposition
None; remains not recovered.
Memorials
Honolulu Memorial
Wallace Lukasezwski is buried in Mount Calvary Cemetery, Lincoln Park, New York.
Next Of Kin Address
Address of mother, Mrs. Jeanette Johnson.
Location Of Loss
PFC Johnson drowned offshore of Ennuebing, Kwajalein atoll.
