Fireman First Class John Clarence Johnson

Our Hometown Heroes

John Clarence Johnson

Killed During Normandy Invasion

John Clarence Johnson was a Fireman First Class in the US Navy. He was killed two days after the start of D-Day.

Born on June 6, 1916, in Columbus, GA, Johnson was the son of Arthur A. and M. Evalina Wagmon Johnson. The 1920, 1930 and 1940 Census show that his future wife, Katherine (Ivester) Johnson lived with her family in Griffin at both 307 W. Poplar and 509 S. Hill Street(s).

Little is known about the young man other than he was killed in action during the invasion of Normandy on June 8, 1944. This was two days after the beginning of D-Day. Johnson had turned 28 years old, just two days before he was Killed in Action.

His wife would later remarry, Frank T. Adams. She died in 1993 and is buried in the Oak Hill Cemetery in Griffin.

Navy Fireman First Class John Clarence Johnson is buried in the Cambridge (England) American Cemetery, Plot C, Row O, Grave 44.

Other notables who are buried at the Cambridge American Cemetery include: Joseph P. Kennedy, (lost at sea during World War II) brother of President of the US John F. Kennedy, and Glenn Miller, (lost at sea during World War II), jazz bandleader during the 1940’s.

A total of 3,812 are buried in the cemetery.