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Return to First Friday Briefing Father of serviceman killed in By Diane Wagner
Joe Johnson, father of Spc. Justin Johnson, is a corporal in the Georgia
National Guard 48th Infantry Brigade, which has been put on alert. Johnson said he has orders to report for training on Nov. 29. “I’m not really looking forward to the five or six months of training
before we go, but I’m really looking forward to getting over there,” he said. His wife, Jan Johnson, and daughter Joleen Gladney have mixed feelings. “He joined to go over there, but I’m not happy about this,” said Gladney,
whose 6-month-old daughter Justine was named after her brother. Justin Johnson was killed April 10 when he was hit by shrapnel from a roadside
bomb in Baghdad. Jan Johnson said her husband wanted to go to Iraq in August when his Washington
state National Guard unit was deployed, but she convinced him to transfer to a detachment based in Kennesaw. “I said I’m just not ready yet,” she said. “I don’t like this
(activation) but, at the same time, I have to respect his wishes. This is something he wants to do.” The family will attend Veterans Day service today at Myrtle Hill Cemetery,
where Justin is buried. The ceremony starts at 11 a.m. at the Tomb of the Known Soldier, Charles Graves, who was killed in World War I. “I’ve got to leave right after the ceremony, though,” Joe Johnson said.
“We’ve got to drill in Savannah this weekend.” Jan Johnson said the family recently learned their oldest son Joshua —
stationed at Ft. Bragg, N.C. — is expecting to be said. “We’ve got to drill in Savannah this weekend.” Jan Johnson said the family recently learned their oldest son Joshua —
stationed at Ft. Bragg, N.C. — is expecting to be deployed to Colombia three days after Christmas. “He’ll be working in the embassy, but that’s still not safe duty,” she
said. “He’ll be in Bogota.” Joe Johnson, who is 47, joined the Washington National Guard in response to the
Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He previously served four years in the Army and another two in the Navy. “I have a message for the ex-military guys out there,” he said. “You’re
not as old as you think. If you have prior military service, there’s a good chance they’ll let you come back in and take up where you left off.” The Johnsons, along with Joleen and Shane Gladney, moved in August from
Armuchee to a 13-acre spread along the Chattooga River in Lyerly. Jan Johnson said “it’s going to help out a lot” to have her daughter, son-in-law and their three children next door
while her husband is on active duty. said. “We’ve got to drill in Savannah this weekend.” Jan Johnson said the family recently learned their oldest son Joshua —
stationed at Ft. Bragg, N.C. — is expecting to be deployed to Colombia three days after Christmas. “He’ll be working in the embassy, but that’s still not safe duty,” she
said. “He’ll be in Bogota.” Joe Johnson, who is 47, joined the Washington National Guard in response to the
Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He previously served four years in the Army and another two in the Navy. “I have a message for the ex-military guys out there,” he said. “You’re
not as old as you think. If you have prior military service, there’s a good chance they’ll let you come back in and take up where you left off.” The Johnsons, along with Joleen and Shane Gladney, moved in August from Armuchee to a 13-acre spread along the Chattooga River in Lyerly. Jan Johnson said “it’s
going to help out a lot” to have her daughter, son-in-law and their three children next door while her husband is on active duty. |
