Gerald R. Johnson
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Gerald Richard Johnson (June 23, 1920 – October 7, 1945) was a
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviation, military aviator credited with shooting down a certain minimum number of enemy aircraft during aerial combat; the exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ...
who flew for the
United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
. Johnson commanded the
9th Fighter Squadron 009 may refer to: * OO9, gauge model railways * O09, FAA identifier for Round Valley Airport * 0O9, FAA identifier for Ward Field, see List of airports in California * British secret agent 009, see 00 Agent * BA 009, see British Airways Flight 9 * ...
and
49th Fighter Group The 49th Fighter Group was a fighter aircraft unit of the Fifth Air Force that was located in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II. Activation and training The group was constituted as 49th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 20 November ...
, and became the fourth ranking fighter ace in the Pacific during World War II. He ended his war career with 22 kills.


Early life

Johnson was born in Kenmore, Ohio on June 23, 1920, one of five children born to parents Harold Victor Johnson, Sr. and Hazel Irene Johnson. He was a twin to Harold Victor Johnson, Jr. born on the same day. In 1936, the family moved to
Eugene, Oregon Eugene ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lane County, Oregon, United States. It is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, near the confluence of the McKenzie River (Oregon), McKenzie and Willamette River, Willamette rivers, ...
. Johnson graduated from
Eugene High School South Eugene High School is a public high school located in Eugene, Oregon, United States. History The school was founded as Eugene High School in 1903, and was located at Willamette Street and West 11th Avenue in a brick building that later se ...
in 1938. After graduation, he worked as an attendant with the
Department of Agriculture An agriculture ministry (also called an agriculture department, agriculture board, agriculture council, or agriculture agency, or ministry of rural development) is a ministry charged with agriculture. The ministry is often headed by a minister f ...
in the summer of 1940. He earned the rank of
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in the
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.Bruning 2004. Johnson was married to Barbara Hall on June 1, 1944.Bruning 2004.


Military career

In 1941, he joined the U.S. Army Aviation Cadet Program at Luke Field. He received his pilot wings in the fall of 1941 and was commissioned a second lieutenant.


World War II

Johnson was then assigned to the 57th Pursuit Squadron of the
54th Pursuit Group The 54th Fighter Group is an active unit of the United States Air Force stationed at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico and assigned to the 49th Wing of Air Education and Training Command. The group was reactivated in March 2014. The group was ...
at
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, from November 1941 to February 1943 and went with the group to Alaska from June to October 1942, where he flew the Bell
P-39 Airacobra The Bell P-39 Airacobra is a fighter produced by Bell Aircraft for the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. It was one of the principal American fighters in service when the United States entered combat. The P-39 was used by th ...
and Curtiss
P-40 Warhawk The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter-bomber that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry ...
. During the
Aleutian Campaign The Aleutian Islands campaign () was a military campaign fought between 3 June 1942 and 15 August 1943 on and around the Aleutian Islands in the American theater (World War II), American Theater of World War II during the Pacific War. It was t ...
, on 58 combat missions he scored probable two enemy aircraft kills while flying the P-39. Johnson served with the 332d Fighter Squadron of the
329th Fighter Group 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious and cultural significance in many societies ...
at
Ontario Army Air Field Ontario Air National Guard Station is a former California Air National Guard facility located alongside Ontario International Airport in Ontario, California. Airfield origins Ontario Army Air Field was established before World War II. It is locat ...
, California, from February to April 1943. He then moved to
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
and was assigned to the
49th Fighter Group The 49th Fighter Group was a fighter aircraft unit of the Fifth Air Force that was located in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II. Activation and training The group was constituted as 49th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 20 November ...
of the
Fifth Air Force The Fifth Air Force (5 AF) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It is the U.S. Air Force's oldest continuously serving Numbered Air Force. The organ ...
, flying the Lockheed
P-38 Lightning The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinc ...
s. Johnson was assigned his P-38, which he named "Barbara" after his future wife. He scored his first confirmed aerial victories on July 23, when he shot down a
Nakajima Ki-43 The Nakajima Ki-43 ''Hayabusa'' (, "Peregrine falcon"), formal Japanese designation is a single-engine land-based tactical Fighter aircraft, fighter used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service in World War II. The Allied World War II Allie ...
"Oscar" and a
Kawasaki Ki-61 The Kawasaki Ki-61 ''Hien'' (飛燕, "flying swallow") is a Japanese World War II fighter aircraft. Used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service, it was designated the "Army Type 3 Fighter" (三式戦闘機). Allied intelligence initially be ...
"Tony", over
Markham Valley The Markham Valley is a geographical area in Papua New Guinea. The name "Markham" commemorates Sir Clements Markham, Secretary of the British Royal Geographical Society - Captain John Moresby of the Royal Navy named the Markham River after Sir ...
,
New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; , fossilized , also known as Papua or historically ) is the List of islands by area, world's second-largest island, with an area of . Located in Melanesia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is ...
.Holmes 2013. Page 46. On October 15, 1943, while defending the allied shipping at
Oro Bay Oro Bay is a bay in Oro Province, Papua New Guinea, located southeast of Buna. The bay is located within the larger Dyke Ackland Bay. A port is operated by PNG Ports Corporation Limited with limited wharf facilities, located at . History Du ...
, he and other aircraft from the 348th Fighter Group intercepted twenty Japanese aircraft. As they maneuvered into position, one of the aircraft in Johnson's formation could not drop its auxiliary fuel tanks, while another blew a
supercharger In an internal combustion engine, a supercharger compresses the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to produce more power for a given displacement (engine), displacement. It is a form of forced induction that is mechanically ...
. Unable to fight effectively, these aircraft were escorted back home, leaving Johnson and a few other aircraft alone. During the dogfight, Johnson chased an enemy aircraft off his wingman's tail and destroyed it. Johnson's aircraft was then attacked by the enemy. His heavy fire tore the wing off a Japanese fighter and sent it spiraling, in the process ripping off Johnson's port (left) tail boom assembly. Johnson managed to regain control of his aircraft and was escorted back to base by the remaining friendly planes. Johnson shot down an Oscar and two
Aichi D3A The Aichi D3A (Navy designation "Type 99 Carrier Bomber"; World War II Allied names for Japanese aircraft, Allied reporting name "Val") is a World War II carrier-borne dive bomber. It was the primary dive bomber of the Imperial Japanese Na ...
"Vals", on that day and successfully managed to disperse the enemy formation and divert it from the target, making him a
flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviation, military aviator credited with shooting down a certain minimum number of enemy aircraft during aerial combat; the exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ...
but at the cost of his own aircraft. For his heroic actions, he received his first
Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries. *Distinguished Service Cross (Australia) *Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom) *Distinguished Service Cross (U ...
. While providing an escort for
B-17 Flying Fortress The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is an American four-engined heavy bomber aircraft developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). A fast and high-flying bomber, the B-17 dropped more bombs than any other aircraft during ...
es bombers, Johnson scored another kill when a Japanese aircraft, concentrating on the bombers, flew straight into his line of fire. Opening fire, he quickly swooped behind another enemy aircraft and sent it down in a ball of flames. In October, Johnson was promoted to the rank of
major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...
and served as commander of the 9th FS from October 1943 to January 1944. On November 15, 1943 while flying a P-38, Johnson attacked a formation of two
Royal Australian Air Force The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal Air force, aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the Governor-Gener ...
CAC Boomerang The CAC Boomerang is a fighter aircraft designed and manufactured in Australia by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation between 1942 and 1945. Approved for production shortly following the Empire of Japan's entry into the Second World War, the ...
s and two
Curtiss P-40 Warhawk The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter-bomber that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry ...
s who were returning to base. He shot down Boomerang serial number A46-136 piloted by
Flying Officer Flying officer (Fg Offr or F/O) is a junior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Flying officer is immediately ...
Robert McColl Stewart, who survived the subsequent crash and fire. Later, an Australian flag indicating this Boomerang was painted on Johnson's P-38 Lightning. In late 1943, the 9th Fighter Squadron received the Republic
P-47 Thunderbolt The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter, and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bombe ...
, due to the losses suffered by the squadron in the aerial battles over
Rabaul Rabaul () is a township in the East New Britain province of Papua New Guinea, on the island of New Britain. It lies about to the east of the island of New Guinea. Rabaul was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province ...
and Lockheed being unable to quickly ship replacement P-38s. Johnson shot down a Tony and an
A6M Zero The Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" is a long-range Carrier-based aircraft, carrier-capable fighter aircraft formerly manufactured by Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. It was operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) ...
, while flying the P-47. He scored a total of 11 aerial victories before going back to the US for a three month
shore leave Shore leave is the leave that professional sailors get to spend on dry land. It is also known as "liberty" within the United States Navy, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps. During the Age of Sail, shore leave was often abused by the members of the ...
.Holmes 2013. Page 46. Returning to the Pacific in October 1944, he was one of the first USAAF fighter pilots to arrive at
Tacloban Tacloban ( ; ), officially the City of Tacloban (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city on Leyte island in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, Tacloban has a popu ...
on
Leyte Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census. Since the accessibility of land has been ...
in the
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
, as P-38s from the 49th FG touched down on the freshly carved airstrip. The strip was under attack night and day as the Japanese tried to destroy the American foothold on Leyte. Four hours later, Johnson shot down two enemy planes, over
Balikpapan Balikpapan is a seaport city in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Located on the east coast of the island of Borneo, the city is the financial center of Kalimantan. Balikpapan is the city with the largest economy in Kalimantan with an estimated 20 ...
, in
Borneo Borneo () is the List of islands by area, third-largest island in the world, with an area of , and population of 23,053,723 (2020 national censuses). Situated at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, it is one of the Greater Sunda ...
. 13 days later, he shot down two more enemy planes, on the lead up to the Philippines campaign. During the spring of 1945, the 49th Fighter Group occupied
Clark Field Clark is an English language surname with historical links to England, Scotland, and Ireland, ultimately derived from the Latin ''clericus'' meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar within a religious order, referring to someone who was educated ...
and were concentrating on providing ground support roles. They were particularly effective in delivering
napalm Napalm is an incendiary mixture of a gelling agent and a volatile petrochemical (usually gasoline or diesel fuel). The name is a portmanteau of two of the constituents of the original thickening and gelling agents: coprecipitated aluminium ...
bombs which devastated enemy installations and made an invasion of the
Luzon Luzon ( , ) is the largest and most populous List of islands in the Philippines, island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the List of islands of the Philippines, Philippine archipelago, it is the economic and political ce ...
unnecessary. On November 11, he downed two more Zeros over
Ormoc Bay Ormoc Bay is a large bay in the island of Leyte (island), Leyte in the Philippines. The bay is an extension of the Camotes Sea. The city of Ormoc lies at the head of the bay and exports rice, copra and sugar. The Pacific War, World War II Batt ...
, and on December 7, the third anniversary of the
attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Empire of Japan on the United States Pacific Fleet at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, its naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Territory of ...
, he shot down three Oscars and one
Nakajima Ki-49 The Nakajima Ki-49 ''Donryu'' (呑龍, "Storm Dragon")Francillon, 1970, p.223 was a twin-engine Japanese World War II heavy bomber. It was designed to carry out day bombing, daylight bombing missions, without the protection of escort fighters. C ...
"Helen" bomber over
Cebu Cebu ( ; ), officially the Province of Cebu (; ), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 167 surrounding islands and islets. The coastal zone of Cebu is identified as a ...
, for which he received his second Distinguished Service Cross. These victories brought him to a total of 21 aerial victories, a quadruple ace, and he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. He became deputy commander of the 49th Fighter Group until March 1945. Johnson served as 49th FG commander from March to July 1945, and became one of the youngest
colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
s in the USAAF. He scored his last aerial victory on April 2, when he shot down a
Nakajima Ki-44 The Nakajima Ki-44 ''Shoki'' (鍾馗, "Zhong Kui, Devil Queller") was a single-seat fighter aircraft, fighter-interceptor aircraft, interceptor which was developed by the Nakajima Aircraft Company and operated by the Imperial Japanese Army from ...
"Tojo", during a fighter sweep over
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
.Holmes. Page 47. During World War II, Johnson flew a total of 265 combat missions. He was credited with the destruction of 22 enemy aircraft in aerial combat plus 2 probables and 1 damaged, which includes 20 in P-38 Lightning and 2 in P-47 Thunderbolt.Holmes. Page 47.


Death and legacy

A few weeks after World War II ended, Johnson was assigned as commander of
Atsugi Air Base is a joint Japan-US naval air base located in the cities of Yamato, Kanagawa, Yamato and Ayase, Kanagawa, Ayase in Kanagawa Prefecture, Kanagawa, Japan. It is the largest United States Navy (USN) air base in the Pacific Ocean, and once housed ...
, Japan. On 7 October 1945, Johnson was flying a
B-25 Mitchell The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Brigadier General William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allied air forces, the B-25 served ...
from
Ie Shima Airfield is a training facility, managed by the United States Marine Corps and a former World War II airfield complex on Ie Shima, an island located off the northwest coast of Okinawa Island in the East China Sea. The airfield as such was inactivated ...
to Atsugi AB, when it flew into a
typhoon A typhoon is a tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere and which produces sustained hurricane-force winds of at least . This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, accounting for a ...
and was hopelessly lost in the black skies. He ordered everyone to bail out, but one person neglected to bring a parachute. Johnson gave up his parachute to allow the other crew members to bail out of the aircraft, while he and the co-pilot 2nd Lt. James B. Noland attempted to guide the aircraft back to the airfield. Both men were killed when the B-25 crashed on approach to Irumagawa Airfield. The four crew members who bailed out were successfully rescued. Johnson posthumously received the
Soldier's Medal The Soldier's Medal is an individual decoration of the United States Army. It was introduced as Section 11 of the Air Corps Act, passed by the Congress of the United States on July 2, 1926., Appendix 5, p. 126. The Soldier's Medal is equivalent ...
for his heroism. His remains have never been located and he is listed on the Tablets of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial, in the
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (informally known as Punchbowl Cemetery) is a national cemetery located at Punchbowl Crater in Honolulu, Hawaii. It serves as a memorial to honor those men and women who served in the United States ...
in
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
. Lt. General
George C. Kenney George Churchill Kenney (6 August 1889 – 9 August 1977) was a United States Army general during World War II. He is best known as the commander of the Allies of World War II, Allied Air Forces in the South West Pacific Area (command), Southw ...
, commander of the Fifth Air Force during World War II, told Johnson's father, "You are the father of the bravest man I ever knew and the bravest thing he ever did was the last thing, when he did not need to be brave." The Irumagawa Airfield, which is located in the city of
Sayama is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 149,826 in 69,859 households and a population density of 3100 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Sayama is located in south-cent ...
, north of western
Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
, Japan, was renamed Johnson Air Base, in honor of him.


Awards and decorations

His awards and decorations include:


Distinguished Service Cross citation (1st Award)

:Johnson, Gerald R. :Major (Air Corps), U.S. Army Air Forces :9th Fighter Squadron, 49th Fighter Group, 5th Air Force :Date of Action: October 15, 1943 :Citation: The
President of the United States of America The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...
, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Major (Air Corps) Gerald Richard Johnson, United States Army Air Forces, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Pilot of a P-38 Fighter Airplane in the
9th Fighter Squadron 009 may refer to: * OO9, gauge model railways * O09, FAA identifier for Round Valley Airport * 0O9, FAA identifier for Ward Field, see List of airports in California * British secret agent 009, see 00 Agent * BA 009, see British Airways Flight 9 * ...
,
49th Fighter Group The 49th Fighter Group was a fighter aircraft unit of the Fifth Air Force that was located in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II. Activation and training The group was constituted as 49th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 20 November ...
,
Fifth Air Force The Fifth Air Force (5 AF) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It is the U.S. Air Force's oldest continuously serving Numbered Air Force. The organ ...
, in aerial combat against enemy forces on 15 October 1943, during an air mission in the Southwest Pacific Area. When a large enemy force of 18 dive bombers accompanied by 20 fighters approached the area to attack shipping at Oro Bay, Major Johnson courageously led his squadron of eight airplanes to intercept the enemy flight. Against these overwhelming odds, he unhesitatingly attacked. During the fierce engagement which followed, Major Johnson shot down two enemy bombers and one enemy fighter. By this daring strike, he dispersed the enemy formation and diverted it from the target. Supporting squadrons of allied fighters then entered the combat and turned back the enemy force with no damage to our shipping or installations. In addition to destroying three enemy aircraft on this occasion, Major Johnson, by his heroism, diverted the enemy attack and saved much valuable cargo. Major Johnson's unquestionable valor in aerial combat is in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, the 5th Air Force, and the United States Army Air Forces.


Distinguished Service Cross citation (2nd Award)

:Johnson, Gerald R. :Lieutenant Colonel (Air Corps), U.S. Army Air Forces :9th Fighter Squadron, 49th Fighter Group, 5th Air Force :Date of Action: December 7, 1944 :Citation: The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Distinguished Service Cross to Lieutenant Colonel (Air Corps) Gerald Richard Johnson, United States Army Air Forces, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Pilot of a P-38 Fighter Airplane in the
9th Fighter Squadron 009 may refer to: * OO9, gauge model railways * O09, FAA identifier for Round Valley Airport * 0O9, FAA identifier for Ward Field, see List of airports in California * British secret agent 009, see 00 Agent * BA 009, see British Airways Flight 9 * ...
,
49th Fighter Group The 49th Fighter Group was a fighter aircraft unit of the Fifth Air Force that was located in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II. Activation and training The group was constituted as 49th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 20 November ...
,
Fifth Air Force The Fifth Air Force (5 AF) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It is the U.S. Air Force's oldest continuously serving Numbered Air Force. The organ ...
, in aerial combat against enemy forces on 7 December 1944, during an air mission in the Southwest Pacific Area. On this date Major Johnson shot down four enemy aircraft in a single engagement. Major Johnson's unquestionable valor in aerial combat is in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, the 5th Air Force, and the United States Army Air Forces.


Aerial victory credits

::::SOURCES: ''Air Force Historical Study 85: USAF Credits for the Destruction of Enemy Aircraft, World War II''


References


Bibliography

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Gerald R. 1920 births 1945 deaths Military personnel from Akron, Ohio American World War II flying aces Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in Japan Aviators from Ohio Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States) Recipients of the Silver Star Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Air Medal Recipients of the Soldier's Medal United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1945 United States Army Air Forces colonels American twins