Dear Joe, Your friendship and warm smile will always be remembered and appreciated by both of us, Richard & Michele.

Friday, 15 September was the third Friday of the month, POW/MIA Remembrance Day. For the third year in a row Michele and I performed the POW/MIA Empty Chair Ceremony at a local winery. Joe, the customary toast and ceremony were dedicated to you. You will never be forgotten. Thanks for your friendship and the good times we shared together. Keep smiling over us.

6 yrs, seems like yesterday. Still one of THE MOST FASCINATING COMPELLING MEN I HAVE MET.
HE STIMULATES BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS EVERY DAY. MY LOVE ANDREGARDS TO JOE AND HIS FAMILY

Thanks for your friendship and the good times shared together. You will always be fondly remembered by us, Richard & Michele

Missing you, Joe. You were a beacon of light in this world and imagine you are doing the same in the spirit world. You are missed.

Loved talking to our Buddy Joe. I hope he is happy with the new book. I debated on sending the manuscript and now I am so happy I did . Marcus Brotherton did an excellent job of telling Joe's story. I hope He and Carl are united in Heaven. Love you Joe.

Today marks the 5th Anniversary of our Uncle Joe’s passing. His final resting place is at Arlington National Cemetery. I wish the new book had come out before he passed. I think he would have been really proud. One of “The Greatest Generation”- Joseph Quitman Johnson, Jr.

I met Joseph in the early 2000's at a Sons of the American Revolution meeting in Chandler/Mesa meeting. I was both amused by his humor and sorrowed by his strength from what he endured. I purchased his book and have shared it with a few others but I am sorry to have learn of his passing. I have just now thought about trying to contact him after finding his business card with his picture and other information on it. Our thanks goes out to him for what he has done for our Country and our prayers to his family. Thank you Joseph. Anne and Art Fesler-Butts, Apache Junction, AZ

Hello friends. In a few short weeks, our book will be released with nationwide distribution. Below is a excerpt from the preface of the book. I hope it piques your interest to be one of the first to get a copy! Also, please take a moment and share this post to your Page.
Thanks!

Now, I didn’t know if I’d die that night in the rain with the door not opened to us. But if you’re a soldier you got to be willing to die for the folks you’re called to protect. Looking back on it all now, I can’t say I was always willing. I ain’t no hero. Neither then nor now. Scrapes I been in. No way I should’ve been in the Army at my age, and no way I should’ve been inside a whorehouse in the first place. No way any kid like me should’ve been standing up to what was coming next for all of us—civilians and soldiers alike—full invasion of the country by Imperial Japan. And after the Philippines fell, well ... when a boy grows up in a POW camp—working as slave labor for one of the most vicious enemies the world has ever known—lots changes for him on the road to becoming a man.
You ask: how had I gotten myself into this trouble? How did I ever manage to survive?

Folks have told me my story is one for the ages. One that sounds so farfetched you have trouble believing it’s real. But it ain’t fiction. Every damn bit of it happened. If you’re gonna read about me, you should start at the beginning. It’s a survival story and love story like no other. Joseph Q. Johnson

-A Bright and Blinding Sun, Marcus Brotherton

http://www.marcusbrotherton.com/

My Uncle, Joseph Q. Johnson was born January 27,1926, the oldest of three. My mother Betty was his baby sister. Due to the circumstances of life, In 1938 at the age of 12, Joe hopped a freight train in Memphis to travel to the San Antonio area in search of his estranged father. Thus began a 7 year journey from Memphis around the world and back. Joe lied about his age at 14 and joined the army, trained with the 41st infantry in Manila, Philippines and was there at 15, fighting with grown men as Japan invaded. He avoided the Bataan Death March by swimming alongside a boat to the island of Corregidor, where he fought alongside Marines for 4 months. At the surrender of Corregidor, Joe was assigned to Japanese POW labor camps for the next 4 years. Joe survived this nightmare of his teenage years and returned home to Memphis after the war. He suffered through PTSD when they didn’t know what that was, but lived a long,happy and purposeful life. Uncle Joe passed away June 24, 2017 at the age of 91.

Our family celebrates our Uncle Joe’s birthday today with the following news!

Joe’s story caught the attention of New York Times best selling author Marcus Brotherton, and Marcus has beautifully told Joe’s story again in his new release “A Bright and Blinding Sun”. It is an amazing story of survival, innocence, romance, and redemption. The book will be released nationwide May 24, and can be preordered now at Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, and Target.

Joe, we will always remember the fond times together, having dinner, a glass of wine and great conversations on our patio. You are truly missed by Michele and I.

A Man of valor and grace to all who had the fortune to know him. His charisma was one of his most noble traits. No matter what situation he was in, he was admired.
I think about Joe every day!
Tremendous example of virtue.
Thank you God for allowing us to know him.
TZ

On this special day, 27 January, be it known you are always remembered; always missed by both of us. Richard & Michele

Extremely interesting and touching story. Does anyone know if the memoir Joe speaks of in his book about the Filipino girl Felicia was completed and/or how to get a copy

I truly do miss talking to Joe almost every week end. My husband Carl and Joe were very close. I lost my husband Oct. Of 2018. JOE DEDICATED HIS BOOK TO CARL AND I. IT WAS A GREAT HONOR FOR US. I SMILE WHEN I THINK OF THE TWO OF THEM TELLING STORIES TO EACH OTHER IN HEAVEN. THAT IS A COMFORT FOR ME. HAPPY HEAVENLY BIRTHDAY JOE. WE LOVE YOU.

Joe Johnson was my dad's biologial father, my grandfather.
He was married to my grandmother Emma Lea Richardson in south Texas in the late 1940s. My dad, Floyd Charles, was born 9/14/49 and my uncle Jerry Dean was born in 1951. There was little communication between our family and the 2 Johnsons [Joe Sr] as their divorce was difficult and I am sure PTSD was not a diagnosis one was given back in the 1940s & 1950s. 
I met "Grandpa Joe" [Joe Sr.] one time when I was very small in the 70s, and he gave me silver dollars. I heard a bit about my dad visiting Joe Jr in Sacramento in the 80's or 90's. 
Joe and I had emailed each other a few times, sent a few Christmas cards once I had children of my own to brag about.
He sent us a copy of his book and a few old family photos with some history of the Johnsons coming over from Wales originally before settling here in San Antonio. 
I wrote to him in April of 2015 when my grandmother passed away and he replied quickly to tell me a few more details about their marriage, that they had actually been married twice {?!} I told him that Mrs. Jerkins, his mother, was very kind to my grandmother and she appreciated her welcoming her and the boys to visit in Memphis. 
They had obviously not spoken to each other in decades, but I am sure she would have been glad to know we had "cleared the air." I am not sure if Joe's wife is still alive, but offer condolences for her loss.
We would have like to have been notified when he passed, and are sorry we missed the memorials. Please keep us in the loop for any upcoming information.

Happy Birthday Joe, I really miss talking to you about Pearce Street and mom playing with your little sister.

Today we remember and celebrate the birth date of Uncle Joe. 92 years ago this amazing man was born. He lived an incredible life, and our lives are all richer for having had him in our lives. We look forward to May 30,2018, when we will gather at Arlington National Cemetery for the honor of attending Uncle Joe's burial there.

If you would like a copy of his book, "Baby of Bataan" , please send me an email with your request. stevengraig@yahoo.com

To purchase a copy of Joe's book "Baby Of Bataan", go to
https://www.ebay.com/itm/302496630133?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649

As my husband previously mentioned we met Mr. Johnson, on 7 December 2012 during a tribute to World War II. Since then he has visited our home many times, and we have become good friends. He always provided an interesting view on his experiences and history. We shared many meals and he always had a way to let me know what he would like for a future meal, and naturally pecan pie for desert. Pecan pie was his favorite and not to be confused with “pizza pie.” He told us, as a POW, the main talk was always about food. Naturally, being from the South he craved fried chicken and always wondered what the “Yankees” were talking about whenever they mentioned “pizza pie.” He was completely confused when they described a pizza. In fact, he said he had his first pizza when he was stationed in California. Thus we made sure he always had pecan pie, or pecan ice cream for dessert. He was 91 years old in January 2017 and still sharp as a tack. Once while visiting us he learned I was from France. He told us his 6th grade music teacher was from France and she taught the class the French national anthem, La Marseillaise in English. Mr. Johnson immediately sang the entire anthem without missing a word or note. As he told us several times his mind is both a blessing and a curse. We had very similar backgrounds. We both grew up poor and we were able to relate to each other’s situation, such as going to bed hungry doing daily chores. We believe reading his book, Baby of Bataan, would be an inspiration to all Americans, especially the youth of our country. Read it and you will have a greater appreciation of those who served our country, during that difficult time. As Richard, I too could not bring myself to call him by his first name. My European upbringing simply taught me to respect our elders. I will always think of him fondly and remember the wonderful times we shared together, even the times he didn’t feel like answering my questions or agree with my comments. He would simply give me that infectious smile and act as though he didn’t hear me and quickly change the subject.

My wife, Michele and I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Johnson on 7 December 2012 during a tribute to World War II veterans sponsored by the Sun City Grand Armed Forces Support Group, where he was the guest speaker. I was immediately interested in hearing his of experiences as a Japanese POW. My uncle, Michael Peraino was a Bataan Death March survivor but never speak of the war. I was hoping to get some insight of his experiences and perhaps learn if he knew my uncle. I was only able to speak with him briefly as there was a very large crowd at the event. That evening I presented Mr. Johnson with a stained glass stepping stone in remembrance of the Baby of Bataan and a note expressing my thanks for his service and sharing his story. The next morning he called thanking me for the stepping stone and asked if he could visit with us. Naturally, we said yes. He arrived shortly afterwards and spent several hours visiting with us. He then presented us with a signed copy of his book, something we will cherish forever. It was the beginning of a friendship that lasted until his passing. We visited each other quite frequently, sharing a meal, stories and each other’s company. Perhaps I am old fashion but after 5 years I still called him Mr. Johnson.

It was mentioned by almost everyone that Mr. Johnson could be very open; however, he also had a private side. There were times we would call and if he didn’t feel like talking he simply would not answer the phone. Although we respected his privacy in this matter it gave way to the few times we called him Joe. It was our way to get his attention and let him know we were concerned about him. One time we called without a response only to learn a pilot friend of his flew him to White Sands, New Mexico to visit the Bataan Memorial near there. Thus when we initially were unable to contact him one day in June we simply figured he was not home or didn’t want to talk at that time. A while later Michele insisted I try calling him again. This time I left a message saying if he didn’t call back within 5 minutes I would call the sheriff’s department. In the past this approach worked well but not this time. I then drove to his home and did not receive a response at the door. I then called the sheriff’s department who gained entry to the house and found Mr. Johnson deceased. We were completely devastated. He was such a great friend who will always be remembered fondly for his wit, gracious smile and dear fellowship.

Met Joe via Tom Zmugg and boy am I glad. We had him over for dinner a number of times that proved to be so entertaining, enlightening, educational, enjoyable. I wish everyone could have know him. The world is a better place because of him and his lost cannot be replaced. May he Rest In Peace. Dale Greenfield

JOSEPH Q. JOHNSON. ENLISTED US ARMY 1941 @ 14 Y.O.
After BATAAN and CORREGIDOR, POW 1942-45 in COAL MINE in NAGASAKI.
Also served in Korea.
Author of BABY OF BATAAN, MUST READ.
LOVE YOU. I'LL NEVER FORGET We lost a Great Hero from the GREATEST GENERATION,
HE GAVE SO MUCH, TO SO MANY, SO OFTEN.

I was privileged to know Joe for the past 6 years. When I first heard him speak at the Sun City Grand Armed Forces Support Group, I was impressed with his charisma knowledge, grace and humility.
After reading "Baby of Bataan" i wanted to know how this Southern Boy was able to withstand the abuse and deprivation, yet remain such a gentleman. I spent many hours with Joe and each visit left me in awe. So humble, kind and upbeat!
I decided I wanted my children and friends to have the gift of knowing Joe. We filmed an interview for others to see. The man was a living piece of 20th century history. We broke bread many times. Each time we enjoyed each other company and my admiration and love for this man grew.
Joe’s life and his ability to survive, adapt, smile and grow is a constant and continuous inspiration. PRO PATRIA
Joe you are still with us.
Joe you are a gift from God!!!

I "met" Mr. Johnson about 8 years ago as I was researching my uncle's POW history. My uncle was also captured on Corregidor and later forced to work on the horrific Nichols Field work detail, before dying on a Hell Ship in 1944. After reading Mr. Johnson's wonderful book, I contacted him through his website in an effort to find out if had met my uncle. Unfortunately, Joe did not know my uncle. But he patiently answered my many questions about his experience in the Nichols Field work detail.

In addition to being a true hero of World War II, Mr. Johnson is an excellent writer and I recommend his book to anyone.

Rest in Peace, Mr. Johnson.

Pleasure to read his book. So sorry he's gone on.
Just finished the book l, so good i miss it.
Just feel in love with Joe.

Oh, how I enjoyed Joe's book, I just feel in love with him. I'm very saddened to hear about his death.
Has he written another book about what happened to Felisa? I surely hope so. Please I'd like to hear from whoever happens to read this that knows about another book.

Recently, I was watching an episode of "Blue Bloods", and in the episode, a beloved and respected police chief was tragically killed. I won't go into the details of the episode, but towards the end of the episode, the son of the police chief (who was also a policeman), was talking to Tom Selleck's character, Commissioner Frank Reagan. The Commissioner was telling the son how guilty he felt because his father had decided to retire and he had asked him to reconsider and stay on the force. "Your father decided not to retire, but if he had, he would be alive today."
The son replied, "Well, Commissioner, you know what my father would have said? He would have said, "It's not the years in your life that count, it's the life in your years"....Abraham Lincoln.
My beloved Uncle Joe passed away last month (on my birthday), and since then, I have been struggling to find an appropriate way to honor and celebrate his memory and life.
I know that my words could never do justice to his memory and his life, so all I can do is share my own memories of the man I came to love, respect and admire.
"It's not the years in your life that count, but the life in your years."
I can't think of any words that best describes Joseph Q. Johnson's life than these words.
From an early age and even into adulthood, my relationship with him went far beyond just being blood related. Over the years, I have heard many people describing someone as "larger than life", and this phrase fit my Uncle Joe, both figuratively and literally.
Even though he didn't play a major role in my "upbringing", Uncle Joe taught me many things. Things that have, in many ways, shaped me into the person I am today. (The jury is still out on whether or not thats a good thing, but that's a story for another time).
Love of country, family, Mexican food, golf, movies, baseball, the importance of a sense of humor are just a few.
While growing up in Memphis, I looked forward to many things. Holidays, Birthdays, family gatherings, hitting the links, going to the movies, etc., but the thing I looked forward to the most was when Uncle Joe came to town. For me, it was every holiday and special occasion rolled into one. He always had a big smile on his face and he always treated me and my siblings as if we were his own kids. I was always captivated by his stories, jokes and his infectious laugh. Back then, I didn't even know the meaning of sarcasm and cynicism, but Uncle Joe was a master. He was never cruel with his sarcasm, but he always recognized bullshit when he saw it and it didn't matter who you were. If anyone, and I do mean ANYONE, spewed bullshit, Uncle Joe would call you out with a twinkle in his eye and tongue firmly implanted in cheek. Uncle Joe always made me laugh, even when I was the butt of one of his jokes. And believe me, there were many.
Put simply, Uncle Joe was my hero. Sure, I put him high up on a pedestal, and nothing would please me more if I made him smile or laugh at one of my jokes. I could listen to him talk and tell his stories for hours.
Growing up, one of the things that always struck me as curious is that whenever Uncle Joe came to town, my Mother would always tell us not to ask him about his experiences in the war. Her reasoning for this was that he would get upset and angry. He didn't like to revisit the horrors he experienced. Being young and naive, I did what was asked because I certainly didn't want Uncle Joe to be mad at me.
The irony of this, is, that years later I passed this information to him and his response was classic Uncle Joe. With a roll of the eyes and a big guffaw, he retorted, "Your Mother was full of shit. I didn't mind talking about my experiences at all."
I bring this up because growing up, I really wasn't aware of the hardships he experienced. I knew that he served during World War II and that he was a POW, and that was pretty much it. As a dumb, naive kid, I just knew how much I loved and respected him. I looked forward to his visits much like a kid looks forward to Christmas.
As the years went by, I learned more and more about his life from my interactions and conversations with him and those close to him. I never really understood the extent of the cruelty and brutality he endured until 2004, when he published his memoir, "Baby of Bataan". One example of his character was that prior to the publication of his memoir, I received an email from him, wanting ideas for the title of his book. My answer was, of course, "Baby of Bataan", and his response was typical Uncle Joe. He said that the general consensus was that it was the perfect title for his book, but in truth, he knew many young men that served in Bataan that deserved that title just as much as he did.
In the forward to his memoir, retired Colonel Karl Lowe said it best. "Joe's character, his unsung duty and bravery under fire and his ability to endure the cruelty, brutality and savagery of his captors was his test of true grit. That he emerged with his mind and dignity intact is the essence of what we find in Joe and his generation."
In closing, it has always been a humbling experience for me whenever I think about the things I experienced and endured from the age of 14-19. Acne, scraped knees, broken bones, curfews, homework, awkward first kisses, ROTC, school boy crushes, to name just a few. And then, I think back to what Uncle Joe went through at that age and I am reminded that what I went through was nothing in comparison.
In my life, I have always tried to honor Uncle Joe and his memory. I named my first born son after him. I talk about him to anyone who would listen. I think about him every time I play a round of golf. Every time I hear a good joke, I think, "Uncle Joe would have liked that joke." I wish I could have witnessed his reaction when candidate Donald Trump said POW's weren't hero's. He liked guys that didn't get captured.
Even though he has now gone to the clearing at the end of the path, his spirit and memory will live on in all of the lucky ones who knew and loved him.
He will never be forgotten.
John R. (Buddy) Graig

Joe Johnson was a humble, thoughtful, compassionate man. He tried very hard to contact families of POWs that he knew who didn’t return home and provide closure for them. In one of the conversations I had with Joe he asked me if Judy and I ever traveled to Maine to look for a town called Hinckley and see if we could find someone that knew the Hinckley family. James Hinckley was a fellow POW and he wanted to provide closure for the family. On one of our RV trips to the NE we wound up in Booth Bay ME for about a week. While there we decided to take a drive and see if we could find Hinckley ME. After locating it on a map we started driving. We passed a Hinckley town limit sign and stopped at the first convenience store we came to. The clerk there didn’t know anyone in the Hinckley family but told us that if we came in from the east on the route we were on we passed a school founded by the Hinckley family. The librarian there was more or less the town historian and she might be able to help us. Back at the library the lady there researched all of her information on the Hinckley family and couldn’t find anything on a James Hinckley. She said it was possible that one of the wayfaring students at the school may have used the Hinckley name to enlist. She told us that there was a memorial at the top of the hill on the school grounds that listed all of the Hinckley family that died in all wars, and that the visitor’s center at the bottom of the hill may have some additional information. The memorial only listed one WWII POW, a Norman Hinckley. The visitor’s center was able to find a picture of Norman (still no James) in uniform while he was home before leaving for the Pacific. They gave us a copy of the picture and accompanying captions. When Joe received the picture, he exclaimed “That’s the man! Wonder why he called himself James?” Anyway from the information accompanying the picture Joe was able to locate a sister living in WV and provide closure.

Joe’s nephew Steve set up this webpage as a memorial to Joe. Accordingly, I will be adding posts from time to time to help everyone get to know Joe better. This post is about the publishing and sale of Joe’s book “Baby of Bataan”. First an introduction to some people who played a part in this.
Ace Godshall. A retired Marine MasterSGT, friend of mine.
Dr. Robert Wood. A former Marine, author of a book titled “Good By Viet Nam, and owner of the publishing company OMONOMONY.
Gene Adee. A retired military pilot O-6 (Navy or AF), associate of an organization (Voices Take Flight) that recognizes citizens who have made major contributions to their society, and one of the organizers of the annual Memorial Day “Ride to the Wall”.

Shortly after my wife Judy and I started Rving we were back in Memphis. I was having a conversation with Ace Godshall about some things I felt were missing for Rvers. It was difficult to find a place to get an oil change and to find a place where you could get your RV washed. He told me about a friend that might be interested in hearing my ideas and perhaps financing them. Ace set up a luncheon where he introduced me to Dr Wood. I asked him how he happened to know Ace. He told me that Ace saved his life in Viet Nam, not once but twice. Ace was a crew chief and door gunner on a Marine helicopter and air lifted Dr. Wood out of danger twice. Immediately my respect for Ace jumped up a couple of notches. Now on to Joe’s book.

When Joe finished his book he started looking for a publisher. In the world of writers if you are an unknown no big publishing company has time for you. If you find an unknown publisher to publish your book nobody buys books from unknown publishers. Judy and I contacted many of our friends looking for ideas to help Joe find a publisher. By now we are in the Memphis area again in our RV travels and in another conversation with Ace I told him about Joe and his problem finding a publisher. Ace told me that Dr. Wood had written a book since I met him and had started his own publishing company because he couldn’t find a publisher . After contacting Dr. Wood and Joe I left things up to them. Dr. Wood arranged for Joe to come to Memphi s, Ace picked him up at the airport because by them Judy and I were on the road again in our RV.

Joe’s book was published in 2004. Now the problem was getting it sold. I carried a couple of cases of Joe’s books that I sold to friends along the RV trail and I built a website for him. Not much help there. Aside from his publisher the individual who did the most to help Joe with book sales was Gene Adee. Gene nominated Joe for the annual award presented by the association “Voices Take Flight”. Joe was selected as their honoree for that year and the ceremony was widely publicized in the Phoenix area but not so much nationwide. The next thing Gene did was arrange for Joe to travel with their motorcycle group in their annual ride to the wall. This ride started from Ontario CA and there are so many riders they have to split into a northern and southern route. Joe and Gene were to be on the southern route. On the Memorial Day weekend the group had come together just outside of DC after picking up riders along the way and began their final ride to the Viet Nam Wall. The ride was then “Rolling Thunder”. Gene had set things up so that there would be TV and radio stations along the way doing interviews with Joe. Joe’s wife Marilyn did not want Joe to leave her and must have been scared to death of being alone so she checked herself into the hospital the day Joe was supposed to leave so he didn’t make the ride. There is no doubt in my mind that what Gene had set in motion for Joe would have gotten him national recognition which he richly deserved and pushed his book sales over the million mark. In the end Joe’s book sales were down to a few that he sold at the many functions where he was asked to be their guest speaker.

I met Joe electronically through a mutual friend many years ago after he first published Baby. We have exchanged emails for over a decade and how I've treasured his words of wisdom, his life's experiences and his let downs. I saved a few of his emails as they were words I hold very dear to my heart, among them "trust your hopes, not your fears". I will miss Joe immensely. His passing has left an empty spot in my life that can never be filled. Cheers to Joe J and the "Thirsty First". ❤️

Judy Barber Joe was our very good friend, like family to us. When I met Joe in the early 70s we became friends and played golf together all around northern California. I didn't find out about him being a POW until later. I have many stories to tell about Joe but this one is about how his book came to be. I was in the Navy and left Joe in the Mountain View CA area when I was transferred to TN for duty. We kept in touch during his moves to the Sacramento area and then to Sun City West AZ. He contacted us and invited us to his mother's 88th birthday party in Memphis. Two years later we met him in Memphis for his mother's funeral. We didn't see him again until 1999 when we stopped in Phoenix in our RV. Joe and I played golf while the girl's shopped. Later we sat in Joe's living room and my wife Judy asked if he had written any more magazine articles about his time as a POW. Joe started quoting one story after another and at that point Judy challenged him to write a book because his story was history that people needed to know. He wrote the book "Baby of Bataan". Getting it published is another chapter for later. Carl Barber

If you read his book or were in attendance at one of the many events he spoke at you know a little about Joe. Not much unless you asked though. He waas a very private person.
When WWII ended and Joe finally got home after convalescing in Manila he later reenlisted in the Army Air Corps. In 1947 he wound up in the Air Force when the Air Corps became a separate branch of the military. He finished this enlistment and was back home playing baseball with the home-town team. Joe was a very good athelete and was the star of the game when they beat the USMC Reserve team who had never lost a game. The Marines immediately approached Joe and coaxed him into joining their unit. They told him they never went anywheere or did much and they wanted him on their ball team. So, Joe joined the Marine Reserves and a month later his unit was sent to Korea where he was being shot at once again. He eventually retired from the Marines.
Carl Barber

Joseph Quitman Johnson, highly decorated WW II Veteran, POW and Author of the book, Baby of Bataan, died 6-24-17 at the age of 91. Joe was a resident of Sun City West, Arizona, and a strong and active supporter of the “Sun City Grand Armed Forces Support Group”, which has given over $500,000 to local and national vet causes.

Joe was well known locally and was truly a piece of 20th century history. In addition to multiple military awards, including the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart, he also received the Schow-Donnelly award for heroism and service to country.

Joe was born in Ruston, Louisiana, but spent most of his childhood in Memphis. Tennessee. He ran away from home at the age of 12 by hopping a train in Memphis to find his biological father who lived in San Antonio, Texas. It was there that his father, a well known thoroughbred trainer at Alamo Downs Racetrack, taught his son to groom and exercise horses. Joe and his father moved on to California and trained horses at the famous Santa Anita Racetrack for many Hollywood celebrities, including George Raft, Barbara Stanwyck, Bing Crosby, Lou Costello and many others. When authorities realized he was not attending school, his father gave him $40 to go back to Memphis to live with his mother and siblings, but instead, he enlisted in the US Army in 1941 at the age of 14. He was assigned to the 31st Infantry Regiment and sent to Manila in the Philippines.
Hours after Pearl Harbor was attacked, Manila was bombed. War had come to the Philippines.  Joe was with his machine gun squad on the Bataan peninsula until April 9, 1942. He escaped to Corregidor, just avoiding the Death March, when the Bataan garrison was surrendered. Joe defended the beaches of Corregidor with the Marines until May 6, 1942 when Corregidor fell. This was a key defense position and, in fact, slowed down the Japanese invasion of the South Pacific.

After being marched through Manila as a POW, he was moved from camp to camp. First, he was taken to Cabanatuan # 1, then to the horrific Nichols Field detail, then to Bilibid. He was then placed on a succession of Hell Ships. The first ship, Oryoku Maru, was sunk off the coast of the Philippines. Next the Enoura Maru and the Brazil Maru were also sunk. Many did not survive the horrific conditions of the ships, and many lost their lives when American planes and submarines sank the Hell Ships. Those that did survive, including Joe, had to confront slave labor in Japan. 
Surviving brutality, starvation, threatened execution, near fatal injuries and mine cave-ins, Joe’s courage, determination and internal fortitude kept him alive. He was close enough to Nagasaki to see a curious huge white cloud hovering over the city a day before American planes began dropping food on his camp. The war was over. Joe’s long journey home began. After nearly four years as a Japanese Prisoner of War, Joe had grown to 6’4” but weighed a mere 110 lbs. Of the thirty-one men in his recruit platoon who fought in the war, twenty-one had perished, most as prisoners of the Japanese.
Joe returned home at the age of 19. After several months of rehabilitation Joe enlisted in the Army Air Corp, the predecessor of the USAF. When Joe was discharged, he decided to play professional baseball. He was signed by the St. Louis baseball organization, and by all accounts he was a decent pitcher. However, that career ended when he threw his arm out. He began working as an insurance salesman then joined the Marine Corp reserves. Shortly afterward the Korean War began, and once again Joe was in combat. He described it as his 15 minute tour of Korea, as he was seriously wounded on his first day there, and required several months of intensive recovery. He remained in the USMC, primarily serving as a drill instructor and working on his golf game. He served several more enlistments in the USMC before being medically retired.

He stayed in California for several years where he worked as a USGA official. He often said the pay was lousy but the prestige was priceless. He won the ALL Navy Golf Tournament in 1957. His good friend and golf partner was Jack Christiansen, an NFL Hall of Fame player and later coach of the 49ers and Stanford.

He moved to Arizona approximately 30 years ago, and his career took another turn. He became the sheriff of Coolidge, AZ but after a year or so he decided that was not for him. His final home was in the retirement community of Sun City West, AZ, where once again he worked at one of the local golf courses.

He continued to be a POW advocate and a historian for the 31st Infantry Regiment, and spoke at numerous military bases and public events.
 
In 2003, he published his memoir in a must read book entitled Baby of Bataan. It is a tremendous account of WW II in the Pacific and a stunning monograph of courage, personal strength, survival and redemption. It is a riveting book and still available on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Baby-Bataan-Memoir-Soldier-World/dp/1590960025/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499470688&sr=8-1&keywords=baby+of+bataan

It was an amazing gift to know this man who gave so much, to so many, so often.
One of the Greatest of the Greatest Generation.

This post written by Joseph Johnson's good friends, Tom Zmugg and Richard Shirley