Some time ago I responded to a fellow blogger, GP, Pacific Paratrooper, a WordPress.com site of Pacific War era information (https://wordpress.com/reader/feeds/4440944/posts/5114548606) about his article, “Disney and WWII,” posted Feb. 12, 2024. The post both tickled my fancy and triggered positive childhood memories, but also, delivered a good dose of regret. I knew so little about my dad’s service, and there was no one living I could ask.
Here is a record of our brief exchange:
Me: My dad was a WWII Marine. I didn’t think it was odd that he could speak to my brother and me in full Donald Duck voice because he just did. He never spoke about why. He did drive us from Wisconsin to California to visit Disneyland when it opened. So much I wish I could ask him now.
GP: May I ask what unit he was in? There might just be a good reason. Disney made training videos, etc. too.
Me: I am ashamed to say that I don’t know his unit.
GP: So many of us have questions we wished we had asked.
As the days passed, I kept going back to GP’s article. I couldn’t reconcile the fact that I had practically no knowledge whatsoever of my father’s service in World War II with who I believed I was: a loving daughter, a lover of history, a teacher of literature, writing, and the Holocaust, a writer of historical fiction, a devoted library worker . . . how was it that I knew so little about my own father’s relationship to such tremendously important world events?
An online search informed me that I could request my father’s United States Marine Corps Separation Documents and Personnel Records from the National Personnel Records Center at the National Archives, www.archives.gov. I did so, and some months later I received a short stack of copied documents dating back to my father’s voluntary enlistment the day after the Pearl Harbor attack.
I did remember that. It was one of the few stories Dad repeatedly told my brother and me, that he had waited in a line two blocks long in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois to join the Marines the day after Pearl Harbor. It painted a picture of patriotism that stayed with me. I have heard myself repeat it many times throughout my life. My dad, the story revealed, was one of the true heroes of The Greatest Generation.
Here is the rest of the story, as much as I was able to glean from the archives:
When Pearl Harbor was attacked (December 7, 1941), William Harold Johnstone was 21 ½ years old. He had turned 21 on his Flag Day birthday, June 14, 1941. He began active duty on January 5, 1942. He was a high school graduate, and he had completed one year of college. His stated major was Pre Med. Qualified sports listed were track, football, basketball, and swimming. It was also noted that he sang in the church choir. He worked at Montgomery and Ward Co. as a silk screen printer.
I do remember my mom telling me Dad had wanted to be a doctor but that after his war injuries he had never gone back to college. I know he was always interested in medicine. Also, I remember a story about how he swam out and back to a pier or perhaps a buoy some distance off the shore of Lake Michigan and back as a teen, which I gather was somewhat of a feat / badge of honor. Also, he mentioned that at one time he had the nickname “Johnny Rock” — perhaps an homage to both his last name (Johnstone) and his physical fitness. His record shows he was 5 foot, 8 inches tall and he weighed 136 pounds. Not a big man, but strong.
Dad’s father, an immigrant from Scotland, had died when Dad was only four-years-old, so he was raised by his mother, Lorene, and her sister, Mary, along with his older brother, Donald. Tragically, Donald died at age twelve. It was then, my dad told me that he knew he had to give up childish games and work to help his mother and his aunt.
This then, is a portrait of the twenty-one-year-old man who entered the military.
Dad’s original principle military duty early on was Surveyor 227 Rank Private First Class. USMC, 19th Marines Engineer, 3rd Marine Division Fleet Marine Force, Camp Elliott, San Diego, CA.
Later I see him listed as Private 1st Class, 339815, “I” Company, Third Battalion, 22nd Marines, Sixth Marine Division.
After his initial training, it seems Dad shipped out. The reports are difficult to decipher, but they contain notes of his being in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; Auckland, New Zealand; Guam, Marianas Islands; Guadalcanal Island, Solomon Group; and Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, Japan. The only detailed reports refer to Guam and Okinawa.
Here is Guam:
From James Forrestal, The Secretary of the Navy, Washington
The Secretary of the Navy takes pleasure in commending the First Provisional Marine Brigade for service as follows:
“For outstanding heroism in action against enemy Japanese forces, during the invasion of Guam, Marianas Islands, from July 21 to August 10, 1944. Functioning as a combat unit for the first time, the First Provisional Marine Brigade forced a landing against strong hostile defenses and well camouflaged positions, steadily advancing inland under the relentless fury of the enemy’s heavy artillery, mortar and small arms fire to secure a firm beachhead by nightfall.
Executing a difficult turning movement to the north, this daring and courageous unit fought its way ahead yard by yard through mangrove swamps, dense jungles and over cliffs and, although terrifically reduced in strength under the enemy’s fanatical counterattacks, hunted the Japanese in caves, pillboxes and foxholes and exterminated them.
By their individual acts of gallantry and their indomitable fighting teamwork throughout this bitter and costly struggle, the men of the First provisional Marine Brigade aided immeasurably in the restoration of Guam to our sovereignty.”
All personnel serving the First Provisional Marine Brigade, comprised of: Headquarters Company; Brigade Signal Company; Brigade military Police Company; 4th Marines, Reinforced; 22nd Marines, Reinforced; Naval Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 515, and 4th Platoon, 2nd Marine Ammunition Company, during the above mentioned period are hereby authorized to wear the NAVY UNIT COMMENDATION Ribbon.
My dad never described any of these experiences to me, and I don’t remember ever seeing that Commendation Ribbon. I hope he was able to talk about it with someone, but I do not know if that was the case. It grieves me.
On Okinawa:
The next specific report in the records begins with a Report of Combat Casualties, which states that William H. Johnstone of the Twenty Second Marines, Sixth Marine Division was Wounded in Action on May 12, 1945 on the island of Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands. Recorded on 13 May 1945. Diagnosis: Wound Fragment Face. Prognosis: Serious.
On 18 May 1945, U.S. Fleet Hospital No. 111 reports William H. Johnstone, Wounds, Multiple. Wounded in action against an organized enemy. Shell struck near patient causing injury.
A U.S. Fleet Hospital letter to my grandmother, written July 1, 1945 reports Dad’s condition as good, and states that he will be returned to active duty in the near future, so it looks like he was hospitalized for approximately a month and a half.
The record states:
In the name of the President of the United States, and by direction of the Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet, the Purple Heart is awarded by the Medical Officer in Command, U.S. Fleet Hospital Number One Hundred and Eleven to: William H. Johnstone, Private 1st Class, USMC for wounds received in action against an enemy of the United States on 14 May 1945.
The battle of Okinawa “was one of the bloodiest in the Pacific War, claiming the lives of more than 12,000 Americans and 100,000 Japanese, including the commanding generals on both sides. In addition, at least 100,000 civilians were either killed in combat or were ordered to commit suicide by the Japanese military (Battle of Okinawa | Map, Combatants, Facts, Casualties, & Outcome | Britannica).
I do remember seeing the Purple Heart. My father gave it to my brother. Unfortunately, it was lost during my brother’s divorce, and it was never returned to the family.
I would like to thank GP and his Pacific Paratrooper WordPress blog for getting me started on this mission of discovery. Without his article on Disney in the Military and my memories of a loving father amusing my brother and me with an array of his silly Donald Duck performances, I doubt that I would have been able to share this information with my children and grandchildren. So, thank you, GP!
And thanks to all my readers.
I love you, Dad.
LakeArrowheadLadyWriter 
Wonderful honor to your father! I am thankful to him. Thank God he survived. Horrible war and battle to have had to participate in.
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Yes! Thank you, Kathy! I knew he had been injured but I never knew what battles he was in. Breaks my heart, but so grateful he survived.
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I’m
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I think you got cut off, dear Sandy!
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WOW!! Had no idea he was even in the service!! Thank you, Uncle Bill, for your service ❤️❤️. And for your “beautiful “ daughter, “my Lori”❤️❤️
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Lois? Is this you? Love you my beautiful cousin! I didn’t know that you didn’t know!
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I’m so glad that you followed up and found all of this info. and gp is a fountain of info. bravo!
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Thank you, Beth! I feel so much better to know a bit more about I am very grateful to GP! Thanks for your kind support!
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Lori, I’m so thankful that GP’s story opened up this poignant and important history of your own father!
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Oh, Joy, as am I! Thank you for your kind words. 🥰
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Outstanding post, Lori!!
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Thank you, GP. I’m very grateful to you!
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Thank you for sharing your father’s experience with War, what a great person he is and we will continue passing along his legacy.
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I will make hard copies for the kids. History is too easily forgotten! I came close to never learning some of my own!
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What a great tribute to your father. I love the Budweiser sign in the background of that one photo.
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Thank you, Marie! The bowling alley next door 😂- It did have its advantages. I learned to ride my bike on the parking lot.
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Dear Lori,
As I was think of the time we visited at your house on the lake, I do remember, somehow, that Uncle Bill was a Marine. So many of our uncles served during WWII. I also served in the Air Force. I was a Captain and flew as a navigator of a KC-135A during Viet Nam. The greatest generation was lauded for their service during war.
That was not how my fellow veterans were treated at the time. It changed a few years ago and we were appreciated. I’m afraid that it is happening again because of the ignorance of the general public. I hope that the general public will remember history and not the false information that is being broadcasted.
That’s enough about that.
I am SO proud of the members of our family that have served!
Love you so much,
Your cousin, Kenny
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Love you too, Kenny! Sorry I didn’t find this earlier! I’m proud of you!
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Wow Lori, this is such a fantastic story about your dad. He sounds like a remarkable man. His character is something this world needs so much more of. For him to be so young with so much loss, yet he graduated high school and competed in so many sports, and then went to college for pre-med, and then stood in line to serve his country!!!….. Thank you for letting us meet him, I’m sharing your post with other people who don’t have WordPress, but who ‘ll be inspired by you and him and his service and both of your examples. You are such an extraordinary daughter to honor your father in this way. 💞
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Your kind words mean so much to me, Rose! I can’t thank you enough! My dad would probably be embarrassed, but I just had to share what I learned. He was a humble person and a great lover of nature. I loved him very much. Thank you, Rose, for sharing. 🥰
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Fascinating story. Great to hear GP’s good work being acknowledged. Thanks for sharing this story with us.
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Thank you for commenting. It means so much!
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I mentioned your post and credit on a comment he made on my blog. Glad to give both of you credit, good when we can acknowledge each others good work.
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Yes, and thanks so much!
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This is so special, Lori, and it’s great that you were inspired by GP! Thanks for sharing with us. 💞
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Thanks, Lauren! GP definitely was the catalyst!
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I love how you took the spark of inspiration from GP and dug in, Lori! Fascinating what you can put together. Here’s to your dad and his brave service!
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Thank you, Wynne! The National Archives are a treasure. It was wonderful to receive the papers from them. 🥰 I know you of all people understand the motivation, too, to honor a father, something you did magnificently in your own book!
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A beautiful tribute to your father! So glad he survived! Yes, GP’s site is so interesting! 💜
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Thank you! So many others did not make it home. 🙏
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My heart is so full, Lori. Thank you. Thank you. Honoring your father with so much grace and love.
I don’t know if there’s any family connection but one of my dearest work colleagues married a man who shares your maiden name, Johnstone, and hails from the same neck of the woods – part of a family with Scottish roots that found their way to the Midwest. Her husband’s name is Hector Johnstone. Maybe distant cousins?
And as others have said – what a way to show how writers inspire one another. Love the word you used below – describing GP’s piece as a catalyst. So good! 🥰💕🥰
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Thank you, Vicki! Wouldn’t it be something if your friend’s husband was a distant cousin to me? 😃 It’s possible! I don’t know of any relatives on my dad’s side since his brother died as a child and he never mentioned his father having any siblings—but it is certainly possible, even likely perhaps that there were siblings, cousins, etc who were in Scotland and Dad just didn’t know them. Families are fascinating!
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Agree, agree! I don’t talk to Hector’s wife – Karen – very often these days, but the next time the opportunity comes up, I’ll ask her what she knows about Hector’s family. The world IS a small place, isn’t it? Sending big hugs to you this morning. 🥰💕🥰
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Always hugging you back, Vicki!
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🥰❤️🥰
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Thank you so much for sharing this information about your father, Lori! It was such an honor and pleasure to read about him and his service, and it is so wonderful that you were able to start that journey of discovery from the blog post on Disney (which I also enjoyed reading, by the way!)! This is such a lovely way to honor his memory!
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Thanks, Anita! I guess there is still a lot of Disney magic in the world! It’s not just commercialism. Faint memory: When we went to Disneyland in the early days, I either saw Walt on the train or. . . I don’t know. I see him there and believe he spoke to us. I vaguely recall my parents told me we saw him, but we didn’t talk about it after I grew up. Sometimes we don’t know what really happened when we were tiny. I know some bad things happened, and I also know some wonderful things happened, too. So I hope Walt. 💕
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It’s funny how much or how little we remember from childhood. I know my sister and I have very different memories. After my parents passed away, I realized how very little I knew about their families (my father was career Air Force, so we moved around a lot), so I started exploring ancestry. Like you, I wish I could ask my parents so many questions now to fill in the gaps. I think it is great you have that memory of Walt Disney!
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If we could find a trunk of old letters in an attic, or learn about a relative or friend of the family who knew our relatives—any little thing we could learn would be a valuable nugget! I guess that is one of the reasons I love to write. In that way, I can create imaginary life stories and live within them for a time. So nice talking to you, Anita! Enjoy your day!
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You are so right, Lori – every piece of information learned about our relatives is a valuable nugget!!! And it not only makes sense that you love to write, but you are also very good at it because you bring information to life!! Always so nice talking to you, as well, my friend! Enjoy your day/evening!
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🥰
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Oh Lori, this is precious and such a gift you dug deeper with GP as a great sounding board. This is truly so touching! It must open a window of hope inside of you! 💕
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I am so glad that I was able to learn more, Cindy. I love your metaphor of it opening a window of hope inside me! Thank you so very much! 💞
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You are so very welcome, Lori and I’m so glad you liked the metaphor! Wonderful sharing and such a gift! 🎁 🩷
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Lori,
Thanks for responding. So much misinformation is being broadcast as fact.
I saw this during Nam and other statements lately. Be very careful of what is reported by “experts”.
Will you be coming out here at any time?
Still love you!
Kenny
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Hi, Kenny. No major travel plans for now as our house is on the market, but it would be wonderful to see you and all the family. Time is precious and flying fast! We hope to be resettled by sometime next year. Always wonderful to hear from you! Be well and happy 💞🙏💞! Your cousin Lori
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People didn’t talk about things the way they do now. I’m so glad you were able to find the info you wanted.
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So true, Dawn! I am just glad I finally got some information. So grateful!
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