| Veteran Receives Medals 55 Years Later | 
(click image to enlarge)
Hobe
Johnson displays his s even new medals. Pictured here are top left -
The Bronze Star, top right - Combat Medical Badge, under badge -
Honorable Service Lapel Button, 3rd down right side - American Defense
Service Medal, bottom right - European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign
Medal, middle bottom - WWI Victory Medal, and bottom left - Good
Conduct Medal | Hobe
Johnson, Cherokee, received seven medals from the Armed Forces Monday,
November 6. Not unusual you say! Mr. Johnson fought in World War
II. The holdup could have been due to a fire at the war records office
in 1973 but whatever the reason, the Johnson family is very pleased
that Hobe is finally recognized for his accomplishments in action.
After
the fire, veterans were asked to submit their documents to the records
office so they could reconstruct their files. Brother Herb,
Hobe's twin, finally sent in his documents last year and while he was
waiting to receive his medals, he obtained forms for Hobe to fill in.
The Johnsons sent theirs in the latter part of 1999. Herb
received his medals in March and it has taken until this week for Hobe
to receive his.
The seven medals include the Bronze Star. This
medal was given to Hobe for exceptional meritorious conduct, according
to the commendation he received some years ago, on December 10, 1944 in
Italy. At that time he was instrumental in rescuing two wounded
soldiers despite the fire of enemy planes who were strafing the area.
"His initiative in the face of danger and his actions reflect great
credit on himself and the military." states the commendation.
A
second medal is the Good Conduct Medal for, as Hobe puts it, "getting
along with my comrades." Then he also received the American Defense
Service Medal for serving from Feb. 10, 1941 until June 25, |
1945. Hobe received the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
for serving 3 1/2 years overseas. This medal contains two silver stars.
A
fifth medal is the Combat Medical Badge. Hobe served in the 109th
Medical Battalion as a Medical Technician. He was discharged as a
Technician 4th Grade. Hobe was responsible for treating the
wounded and assisting the doctors. He also received the Honorable
Service Lapel Button since he received an Honorable Discharge in 1945
and the final medal was the WWII Victory Medal. This one was given
because the allies won the war.
Mr. Johnson did received other medals at the time of his discharge but these somehow had been overlooked until now.
Hobe
Johnson attended school in Ida Grove. He met his sweetheart, Mary,
during his senior year. They graduated in 1940 and, since Hobe was
already in the National Guard, he was sent to Camp Claiborne in
Louisiana. He left behind a large teddy bear for Mary to remember him
by. He was supposed to return home after one year but war broke out and
he was sent to Fort Dix in New Jersey and then shipped overseas in
Feb., 1941.
He landed in Ireland, then was sent to North Africa,
then Tunisia, and finally Naples, Italy. When the war was ended he was
sent to Switzerland where he received his discharge papers and sent
home.
One month after returning home, Mary and Hobe were married
and Mary learned that Hobe had learned to dance while overseas. They
have been married for 55 years and have raised one daughter, D Deborah.
Deborah is married to County Attorney, mark Cozine, and they have four
children.
(Source: Former Cherokee County Historical Society scrapbook
clipping hand dated 11-11-2000)
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