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Remember...Oliver Morris Johnson
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Oliver Morris Johnson was born in Pennsylvania in 1923, the eldest of five surviving children born to Oliver Livingstone and Irene Morris Johnson.
While a student at Wilkinsburg High School in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, Oliver was a member of the newspaper staff, secretary of the Hi-Y Group, and was elected a member of the National Honor Society. He graduated with high honors in May of 1940. In September of that year he entered West Virginia State College where he served as president of the student council, secretary of the college chapter of the NAACP, Chaplain of the College Bible Class, member of the Men's Senate, a sergeant in the ROTC and president of his senior class. He also worked on the school publication Yellow Jacket. Oliver aspired to become a research chemist and was a student assistant in the laboratory.
Oliver was drafted into the Army in his senior year of college, three months from graduation. He served with the 184th Engineer Combat battalion and eventually attained the rank of Technician 5th Class.
Sergeant Oliver M. Johnson, then almost 22 years of age, died February 12, 1945, from wounds received during battle operations in Luxembourg. He was buried in the Luxembourg American Cemetery.
Information and photo provided by Lee Carol Cook, niece
West Virginia Archives and History welcomes any additional information that can be provided about these veterans, including photographs, family names, letters and other relevant personal history.
