By Gary Burns- Spring/Summer Clay Ancestral News 2020
The Cold War was more than a decade old by 1958. Nowhere was the threat of communism more prevalent than in the two Germanys – East, occupied by the Russians and West, occupied by the Americans. United States soldiers and airmen made Germany their temporary home, the frontline defense should Russia invade the post-WWII democracies. American servicemen were so commonplace; in fact, Germans hardly noticed their presence. American outposts dotted the German landscape. One such bastion was Ray Kaserne (Ray Barracks) in Friedberg. Friedberg is located about thirty-three kilometers north of Frankfurt in the State of Hessen, a strange place to find a king.
On every Army or Air Force base such as Ray, Willys jeeps, the old tried-and-true workhorse of the Army, zipped around like ants at a picnic. The streets within the kaserne were often filled with junior enlisted men chauffeuring officers and senior sergeants back and forth, a prestigious task. On any given day that the sun peeked through the clouds, it was a prime opportunity to fold back the canvas top on the jeep and allow the sun and breeze to massage tired faces. Typically, soldiers walking along the fairways never gave a second glance to vehicular traffic. They were engrossed in training, drilling, maintenance or some job that required constant attention in order to keep America’s overseas force functioning efficiently. There was, however, one particular olive-drab jeep that always seemed to standout as if the king himself were driving it.
The jeep was one of a fleet owned by the 1st Medium Tank Battalion, 32nd Armor, 3rd Armor Division. By itself the vehicle stirred no interest. The frequent passenger, a thirty-three-year-old sergeant and Scout Section Leader, a veteran of WWII and the Korean War, seldom earned a passing nod either. The driver, however, a twenty-three-year-old, Spec-4 (Specialist Four) drew a constant barrage of stares, smiles, hoots and excited hand-gestures.
The driver, as it was well publicized, had just wanted to be an ordinary soldier and do his duty. It was difficult to do so, on or off post, his fame assured he would never be just another GI serving his country. He had possessed all the required credentials of a regular soldier, dog tags with his serial number affixed, starched fatigues, a 45-caliber pistol, and an assignment to the Scott Platoon of D Company. He even regularly drove for the platoon sergeant, just like another buddy who drove for the platoon commander. Like all ordinary GIs he had a nickname given him by his buddies in the platoon, “Prez.” But in just about every nook and cranny of the rest of the world everyone knew him as just “Elvis.”
Despite his fame, and certainly by that time fortune, Specialist Elvis Aron Presley was very close with his passenger, John Howard Johnson. Though Johnson was ten-years his senior, he and Elvis began life in similar surroundings. Johnson was born in Brownsville, Kentucky on 9 May 1925. The city limits set within walking distance of the western entrance to Mammoth Cave. When Johnson turned five-years-old, the city claimed a whopping citizenship of 359 residents.
Presley was born 8 January 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi. His was a home birth, a common practice of the day. The bed his mother, Gladys Love (Smith) Presley, gave birth in can still be seen in the little house, then unnumbered, on Old South Saltillo Road. Elvis was a twin but his brother was stillborn. His father Vernon Presley came from a long line of farmers. Elvis was born into the Hard Times Thirties and Vernon, like most men, picked up work wherever and whenever he could. Vernon borrowed $180 to build the home where Elvis was born. The lot was part of a larger dairy farm where Vernon often found employment. He supplemented his income by working at a produce warehouse and at carpentry jobs. When the Second World War began, Vernon worked weekdays at the German Prisoner of War compound, Camp Como. He returned home on the weekends.
Elvis grew up as an only child. The family moved to Memphis in 1948. Elvis graduated from Humes High School in 1953. He was introduced to two distinct types of music in Memphis. The first, gospel which he enjoyed singing and listening to. He frequently attended all-night gospel singings. The second music genre Elvis relished was the Rhythm and Blues (R&B) born on Beale Street in the heart of Memphis’ African-American district. Although, the U.S. was very much segregated during Elvis’ youth, R&B was beginning to reach audiences across the nation. While many whites may have listened to R&B secretly, Elvis never tried to hide the fact he loved the beat, lyrics and style. It was his childhood music that evolved and solidified into the King’s own brand of Rock and Roll. His first records were so similar to R&B that during an early radio interview the DJ took timeout to clarify to the listeners that Elvis was not black.
By 1956, at the height of his fame, Elvis’ world had moved from radio to television. By the following year, not only did every person from children to young adults – his following – know Elvis’ sound but they also knew him on sight. And both fans and foes recognized his patented shaking and grinding hips that earned him the nickname Elvis the Pelvis. His moves mesmerized his fan base, while the older generation saw the end of innocence, and possibly the world, in every thrust of his hips.
Rock and Roll may have been the future, but the military draft was a carryover from the past. When Elvis’ number was called he was immediately offered a plush spot in special services, the Army’s entertainment and recreation branch. To what extent Elvis considered the offer no one knows for sure. He was granted a short deferment to finish filming “King Creole.” It is generally believed that Elvis’ manager, Colonel Tom Parker, counseled him against accepting any special duties from any of the branches of service. If he were to accept the pampered treatment, Parker thought it would tarnish his reputation and cause his success to decline, particularly with adults over forty. Whether a selfless patriotic act, or calculated business-plan, Elvis enlisted in the Army like every other draftee. On 24 March 1958, he and twelve other recruits departed by bus for Fort Chaffee, Arkansas. From there he was assigned to the 2nd Armored Division at Fort Hood, Texas. Then on 22 September he boarded the USS Randall, bound for Germany.
How or when Johnson and Presley met is unknown. In 1958 they were both in the Scout Platoon. Presley seems to have gotten along very well with the soldiers of his unit. One possibility, though it might be cynical thinking, is that Presley was generous and willing to share the amenities earned from his talents. As he had at Fort Hood, Presley lived off-post, or what soldiers later called “living on the economy.” Presley brought his grandmother and father to live with him, as he had at Fort Hood. Though a devout Christian, Presley liked to throw parties and lavish affairs open to members of his platoon and friends. The base chaplain recalled that Presley wanted to attend the base chapel but wiser heads decided his attendance would only disrupt services. He went on to say that the hundreds of military dependents were almost to the last enthusiastic Elvis fans. So, it was probably at one of the get-togethers at Presley’s hotel that created circumstances for him and Johnson to become friends. It is common knowledge that Presley was best friends with another soldier of his rank. Probably little would have been said had Johnson openly claimed friendship but the Army has strict rules against fraternization between subordinates and supervisors.
Johnson was present during the Grafenwoehr field exercises with Presley. Presley was unable to share his musical talents in depth with his platoon. There were copyright restrictions and contracts in play even while he was in the Army. Not to rob the scouts of the experience, Presley turned to the music he had always loved. Presley would take-up his guitar and glide into sessions of old gospel tunes meant especially for the select few who shared the cold and mud of “Graf.” During a period at Grafenwoehr Training Area, Presley was permitted to put on a public show. At Micky Bar, Presley performed this only live show outside North America.
With all the fanfare that went on during Presley’s eighteen months in Germany, there was also tragedy growing. Narcotics entered into Presley’s life and his routine while in Germany. Exactly how much or to what degree Presley was using prescription medications in Germany is not known. However, it is easy to look back and suspect that his addiction and death from opiates sparked in his Army days. Although it was not as much drugs that distanced him from his Army companions as the budding love affair with sixteen-year-old Priscilla Ann Beaulieu.
To what extent Johnson’s influence and friendship with Presley influenced the King’s life is left to speculation. Johnson was a career soldier. He had started life in a small farming community, much as Presley had. Johnson’s father, Robert Estill Johnson, like his father before him, worked the land. He grew up tilling the soil and harvesting crops, and except for a short time hauling cordwood in the 1940s, he would die a farmer. Around the time Elvis was born, Estill Johnson moved the family to the Delafield Community of Bowling Green.
John Johnson was living in Hartford City, Indiana when he registered for the WWII draft in 1943. He was at the time an eighteen-year-old employee of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Two railroad lines ran through Hartford City making it a busy hub during the first years of WWII. In fact, most of the town’s population was employed in the transportation industry. Railroad workers typically received deferments from the draft in the early years of the war. As those ran out, Johnson along with twenty-seven other Hartford City men were notified on 15 May 1944 to report for pre-induction examinations.
Johnson entered the U.S. Army 5 August 1944 in Indianapolis. He arrived overseas on 13 April 1945 and was assigned to Company K, 1st Infantry Regiment, 6th Infantry Division already engaged in the liberation of Luzon, Philippines. The 1st began the attack on Mount Pacawagan, Luzon, Philippines on 17 April and this was probably Johnson’s first combat action. The advance encountered intense resistance in the fight near Bolog-Kiangan at the end of April. On 29 June the liberators moved on Lane’s Ridge of Mount Santo Doming. The 6th Inf. Div. then spearheaded the fighting into the Mt. Puloy area of Northern Luzon. Their last battles continued through the first part of August. After Japan capitulated, the 6th halted in the Cagayan Valley and the Cordilleras Mountains. The division moved to Kunchon, Korea as an occupying force after V-J Day. Holding the rank of Tech/Sergeant (Tech-5), Johnson was discharged at Kunchon on 9 December 1945. The following day he reenlisted. He remained in service until 8 June 1947. Johnson was discharged at Fort Bliss, Texas in 1947.
Johnson returned to Hartford City, where he again worked for the railroad. Things seemed good but by 1948, the railroad workers and their union were threatening or actually engaging in strikes. The shutdowns and delays were becoming a national problem. Johnson decided wisely he needed to do something else. On 22 November 1949 he returned to the Army, a job he knew to be dependable. Unfortunately, his prior service was considered for “time in service” but not“time in grade,” or immediate return to his former rank. He basically started over from near the bottom. But by the time he and Presley served together he was back to sergeant, pay grade Enlisted Five (E-5).
The Korean War began 25 June 1950 when North Korean forces crossed the 38th Parallel and invaded South Korea. By October, United Nations’ forces had reversed the table and they too crossed the 38th, pushing the North Korean army in front of them. China entered on the side of North Korea and the war turned into a series of repetitive retreats and counterattacks.
Johnson again went into combat as a member of 2nd Infantry Division. The 2nd Div. landed at Pusan, South Korea on 29 July 1950. In January 1951 the 2nd Div. was holding the line around the town of Wonju. In mid-February twelve divisions of the Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) attacked the lines. The 2nd was instrumental in repelling the onslaught. There was little respite for the division to refit and recuperate. The CCF launched their Spring Offensive on 22 April. The 2nd’s part in holding against the weight of more than half a million Chinese regulars earned them the Presidential Unit Citation. The division was pulled off the line and placed in reserve near the town of Hongch’on, South Korea on 8 June. The 2nd was then granted a much-needed break and time to train for the next action. However, in July negotiations between the warring parties halted further offensives for the time being. In spite of peace talks the war gained momentum again as both sides attempted to seize ground they might claim as theirs when the armistice was signed.
The Spring Offensive lasted from 22 April through 8 July 1951. The 2nd relieved the 1st Marine Div. and in September attacked a group of hills north of what was called Bloody Ridge. While there were several heights the 2nd’s assault for this particular terrain became known as the Battle of Heartbreak Ridge. North Korean regulars occupied the ridgelines and were well dug-in. When the Americans stepped off, they were met by a hail of automatic and small-arms’ fire. American casualties were devastating. The division lost some 3,700 men wounded or killed. By some miracle, Johnson survived two wars without being wounded.
Johnson returned to the United States and continued to serve until his duties took him to Ray Barracks. He befriended Presley there and remained in contact with him until Presley’s untimely death. Johnson rotated back to the States before Presley left Germany. Johnson married Evelyn Jackson of Manchester, Kentucky 2 December 1959, in Campbell County, Tennessee, just over the Kentucky state line. Evelyn was born 18 November 1936 to Boyd and Nellie (Smith) Jackson.
Johnson remained in the Army, traveling with his wife and his growing family around the country from post to post. Johnson and his family received holiday cards and greetings from Presley without fail throughout the years. Staff Sergeant Johnson retired from the Army 1 March 1967 at Fort Lewis, Washington. The Johnsons lived in Louisville for a time and then moved to Jack’s Branch, Clay County. Jack’s Branch was the ancestral home of Evelyn’s Jackson family. There, the Johnson children attended school and graduated high school in Clay County.
Among the many pieces of correspondence from Presley over the years, he sometimes sent tickets to his concerts. The family was particularly looking forward to accepting one invitation for the 23 August 1977 show at Rupp Arena in Lexington. Evelyn and the children only knew the great Elvis by the stories they had heard from John. This seemed the best opportunity to meet the King of Rock and Roll. The show, however, was cancelled. The King was dead.
Presley died 16 August 1977 of conditions probably related to narcotics use. He is now buried on the grounds of his estate, Graceland, in Memphis. John Johnson passed away 25 April 1983. He was buried in the Treadway Cemetery at Bernice. Evelyn died 13 September 2019 and was buried beside her husband. Although Presley never visited Clay County, Johnson’s presence brought with him a bit of the King. But Johnson would likely agree with the majority of fellow soldiers who served with Prez, they were just ordinary soldiers doing their duty to keep their country safe.
As appreciation of their service, some of their awards follow. Staff Sergeant Elvis A. Presley earned a Good Conduct Medal and Expert Rifle Badge. Staff Sergeant John H. Johnson earned the Bronze Star with “V” (valor during combat action), Good Conduct with three bronze knots, National Defense with two bronze stars, American Theater, WWII Victory, Asiatic-Pacific Theater with two bronze stars, Philippine Liberation with two bronze stars and one arrowhead, WWII Army of Occupation with “Japan” clasp, Philippine Independence, Korean Service with one bronze campaign star, Medals. He also earned a Combat Infantry Badge, Sharpshooter Rifle Badge, and other awards.
John Johnson never really knew the King of Rock and Roll. He knew only the soldier Elvis Presley. Few men truly know what character a man possesses and keeps hidden from the public eye. That is especially true of celebrities. But men who endure the rigors and hardship of military life, while tied to one another in close quarters night and day, know what lays at the heart of a man. Elvis never forgot that and his army friends had the rare look inside Presley few others ever earned.
