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Sandbagged foxhole on beach a memory of landing at Iwo

James Albert Johnson of Marysville served in the Marines as a Corporal during World War II.  Mr. Johnson served in the Pacific.  The following is a story about Mr. Johnson as told by Alma Woodcock. 

In 1941 at age 18, my brother, James Albert Johnson, enlisted in the United States Marines.  During the latter part of his time served, he was stationed on Guam, from June 1944 to November 1945. 

The early part of 1945, he landed on Iwo Jima, where he saw enough fighting and action during WWII to last him a lifetime.  He never did really talk much about what took place while he was there. 

I called him recently, to ask if he could tell me something that I could put in the Journal about him. 

He only told me one funny happening.  He said right after they landed on Iwo Jima, he immediately started digging his foxhole.  He said there was sand everywhere, which I assume was actually volcanic ash.  After digging his foxhole, he stacked sandbags all around it, to keep the sand out. 

His First Sergeant laughed when he saw it, and told him he was the first man on Iwo Jima to build a foxhole from sandbags.  I'm positive there was more than humorous things happened there.  I've always been told, not by him, that the Marines did the majority of the fighting during the war, this could be a wrong statement though. 

I was a very young girl when Albert left home and joined the service.  He was the oldest child and the only living son.  He left at home, his Dad and Mom, Tom and Grace Johnson, of Elvins and nine sisters.  One brother had died at an early age, and another brother born later, died in infancy. 

I can remember my mom praying constantly while he was gone, that God would bring him and all the servicemen back home safely.  Many didn't make it back, but my brother did. 

We would get many letters from him that were censored at that time.  They would have a lot cut out of them, which he wasn't allowed to write about, and we would have to piece together what he was trying to tell us.  While he was gone, we lived on rationing stamps. 

I can remember walking to the store, and presenting the stamps to purchase several items that was rationed.  You could not get over your limit of stamps, but because we had such a large family, we got quite a lot.  We managed and we made it, like a lot of other people who didn't have much as I recall. 

I well remember standing in our driveway and hearing the sound of planes.  I looked up to see the planes flying in V formation.  This meant we had won the war with Japan, and V-J Day was August, 1945.  A glorious day. 

My brother has since gotten married to Twyla Burch of Joplin, Mo in 1950.  They now live in Marysville, California.  They have five children, Zella Gayle, Tom, Mary, Brenda, and Vella.  Our Dad and Mom are now deceased.  Dad died in 1961 and Mom in 1981. 

Mom had saved a letter I had gotten from my brother in 1945.  I knew nothing about her saving it, until one of my sisters gave it to me just recently.  The Marine paper he wrote it on, is as good as it was fifty years ago and it is not brittle.  Also the writing is as legible, it is a keepsake of mine. 

Albert's nine sisters, all having graduated from Elvins High School, are all living. Violet (Mrs. Leon Porter) Knob Lick, Opal (Mrs. Marvin House) Farmington, Irene (Mrs. David Hart) Delta, Christine (Mrs. Arthur Poland) St. Louis, Alma (Mrs. Donald Woodcock) Ironton, Annabelle (Mrs. Bob Underwood) Park Hills, Z. Kathy Johnson, St. Louis, Nancy (Mrs. Bob Twidwell) Farmington, Barbara (Mrs. Bill Ross) Park Hills.  We are all also thankful that God brought our brother home safely.  God is so good.

 The DAILY JOURNAL, St. Francois County., Wednesday, April 26, 1995.

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