My work to document those receiving a Purple Heart from Nemaha County continues. I started working with a list of those who died during World War 2 that was published in the 11 Nov 1946 issue of the Courier Tribune. When I finished with those profiles, I discovered that the plaque at the courthouse had some additional names. Thus, I’ve been working on those names. Today’s post has been frustrating to research.
It’s a Mystery!
Joseph Johnson is listed as having died during World War II on the courthouse plaque.
Joseph P. Johnson is listed on the list of World War casualties for Kansas.
Joseph P. Johnson (Major) is listed on Interment.net for the Manilla American Cemetery.
The document, 80th Fighter Squadron, indicates that Major Joeph Johnson was named commander of the squadron on May 9, 1945
The memorial on Fold3 indicates that Joseph P. Johnson resided in Arkansas (and not Kansas).
The page for the 80th Fighter Squadron on the Pacific Wrecks site gives more detail about the unit during World War II but does not mention Joseph Johnson.
My attampts to locate newspaper articles about Major Joesph Johnson in 1945 was unproductive.
No mention of Joseph P. Johnson has been found in the Seneca or Sabetha area newspapers. Find a Grave does not have an entry for Joseph P. Johnson in Nemaha County, Kansas. A search of the 1920 and 1930 census records for Nemaha County did not find a Joseph Johnson.
A search of Ancestry trees only located ONE tree with Joseph P. Johnson in it. (I have contacted the owner of the tree to hopefully get more information.)
While I’ve found a little evidence for the military career of Joseph P. Johnson, I have not found anything connecting him to Nemaha County. Thus, the mystery.
