Johnson, Howard Ravenscroft “Jumpy”.

Johnson, Howard Ravenscroft “Jumpie”, born on 18-06-1903, in Maryland. His father a shipbuilder in that state, was Joseph E Johnson, and was 33 and his mother, Bertha, born Lovenstein, was 32 when Howard was born. Howard married Mary Evelyn Brothers on 25-01-1929, in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah. Graduating from Central High School in Washington, D.C., Johnson attended the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis . Before he was scheduled to graduate, Johnson went to Texas, where he tried to become a pilot in the Army Air Corps.  The instructors sent him away because of poor “side vision.” Johnson stayed in the Army, however, and was stationed in the Panama Canal Zone, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and in China, before returning to his home state of Maryland, where he would be posted at Fort Meade. Before World War II broke out, Johnson, by then advancing in rank, was driving a jeep when it flipped over, severely injuring him. After he eventually recovered, his commanders offered him the chance to command the First Special Service Force , known as the “Black Devils.” Colonel Johnson didn’t think that it would ever be an effective fighting force. The Black Devils went on to fight in World War II, earning recognition for its nighttime raids behind the German lines at Anzio Beach.  Soon, his superiors gave him the opportunity to command another combat unit. It was called the 501^st Parachute Infantry Regiment. The colonel accepted. After the regiment endured rigorous training at Camp Toccoa  and Fort Benning, Georgia, it was sent to North Carolina for military maneuvers. In January 1944, Colonel Johnson and the 501 ^st Parachute Infantry  sailed to England. By now, “Jumpy” Johnson had installed a positive attitude in them which led to a fighting spirit. The morale of the 501^st stayed rather high the entire time Colonel Howard Johnson was with them and after he was gone. On D-Day, the 501^st, now permanently attached to the 101^st Airborne Division , Commander of the 101^st Airborne Division, Maxwell Davenport Taylor  

On 08-10-1944, Johnson and his young executive officer, Lieutenant Colonel Julian Ewell he died old age 93, on 27-07-2009, in Fairfax

,   on a West Point graduate, were visiting the front lines. Suddenly, some mortar shells hit the area. Men raced for cover and got down. Some of them were killed by the barrage. A large fragment hit the Colonel in the stomach. He fell to the ground. The medics knew that the wound was very serious, if not fatal. Two hours later, Johnson groaned, “Take care of my boys” to Colonel Ewell, who would take the command of the regiment. Seconds later, he was dead. The 101^st Airborne Division had the next losses during their campaign in Europe; In Normandy, killed/died of wounds 868, wounded in action 2.303, missing/captured 665. In Holland killed 752, wounded 2.151 and missing 398. In the battle of the Bulge in Belgium, killed 482, wounded 2.449 and missing 527, in total killed 2.043, wounded 2.782 and missed 1590. Colonel Howard Ravenscroft Johnson is buried on Arlington Cemetery, Section 11. Also buried in Section 11, Major General, Commander 106^th Infantry Division , Ardennes Offensive.Alan Walter Jones, the Lieutenant General, Commanding General, Normandy, Henry Aurand, Air Force Brigadier General, Chief of Staff Second Air Force, Nathan Forrest III, General Lieutenant, Commander of the 10^th Mountain Division, Georg Hays, Lieutenant Colonel and Fighter ace, “The Boise Bee”, Duane Beeson, the Flyer Ace, Marine Corps Brigade General, Carlson’s Raiders, “Gung Ho”,Evans Carlson and General, Vogues Forests, 36^th Infantry Division , he arrested Reichsmarshal, Herman Göring, John Dahlquist.