from "​Double Cousins" by Ralph Hammersborg,  A Norwegian Family Chronicle, produced in 1996

Ralph Hammersborg had asked his Mother’s cousins to write about their lives.  The cousins stories are taken from "Double Cousins by Ralph Hammersborg, A Norwegian Family Chronicle, produced in 1996.”   Birth dates of living relatives have been removed from the original text.

1920 - Walter Edwin Johnson  
October 1, 1920  - April 10, 2021
Son of Helmer & Alfrida Johnson

Written in 1996

I was born on October 1, 1920, on a farm near Binford, North Dakota.  My parents were Helmer M. and Alfrida (Susag) Johnson.  They farmed four and a half acres south of Binford.  I attended grade school in Clearfield Township, a one-room school.  I attended Binford High School and graduated in 1938.

 After many farm jobs, I got a defense job with Lockheed Aircraft in October 1941 and went to Burbank, California.  I went home to North Dakota in July 1942 and joined the Navy.  I was sent to an Aircraft Mechanics School at Norman, Oklahoma from which I was sent to the Fleet in March 1943, being attached to Carrier Aircraft Service, Unit 8 (CASU 8) at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.  CASU 8 was sent to the Solomon Islands where we arrived at the Russell Islands in June 1943.  Later we were on the Treasuries in November 1943 and Green Island in March 1944.  At the end of the Solomon battles, we were sent back to the United States and I got here in July 1944.  Was it ever cold!

 CASU 8 was disbanded and I was stationed at a small Air Base near Modesto, California.  I was left there until the end of the war and in October 1945 was assigned to a Seaplane Tender, USS Tangier, and occupation duty in Japan.  I was discharged in February 1946.

 My parents then lived near Frazee, Minnesota, where they moved in 1943.  There I met Vi Flatau, married August 10th, 1946, and went to Wisconsin on our honeymoon.  We found a job at Waukesha Motors at Waukesha, Wisconsin, and stayed there until March 1948 when we started farming near Perham, Minnesota.  We have two sons and three daughters.

 Wally was born in Wisconsin and Norris, Kristin, Debra, and Judy at Perham, Minnesota.  We quit farming in 1963 and found work in Port Angeles, Washington at Peninsula Plywood where Vi has relatives.  I worked there until I retired in 1983.

 Walter and Vi are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary, this August in Port Angeles, with a family reunion.

 Josephine Lehman told Walt and Vi the reason her father, David Susag, grew a beard. Josephine and brother, Alfred, decided to make a teeter-totter.  They found a board and took the bench from behind the kitchen table (each family seemed to have a bench as it took less room and seated more at the table).  They had fun playing but neglected to take the bench inside when it got dark.  Their father came home after dark (and it can be so dark in the country without any artificial light), took the horses to the barn, and walked to the house.  He stumbled over the bench, fell and cut his lip badly.  When it healed, it left quite a scar, so he never shaved again.

The Life of Walter Edwin Johnson

The following was written in Vi Johnson’s handwriting.  Assuming Vi was writing and Walt was dictating.  It was written on letterhead from a Travelodge in Missoula, MT.  Assuming again that maybe the document may have been written in a hotel room during their many travels to and from Washington State to Minnesota.

• Walt - born 1 October 1920

• Born at home in Bryan Township, North Dakota.

• School at Clearfield Township - 1 room school for 8 grades - completed 8 grades there - 2 different teachers in 8 years - lived 3 ½ miles from school - walked a little in early fall & late spring, otherwise horse & buggy & winter horse & cutter.

• Worked on farm at home in summers.

• When 15 years of age, worked couple months for a neighbor (long, long hours).

• High School in Binford (4 miles from home) - rode horseback to school until about November 1st - kept horse in barn in town while at school

• First day of high school - 10 days late because of farm work.  Horse would not go into barn, so tied him outside.  Then had to walk ¼ mile to school - was late

• High school - 40 kids - 2 teachers (Superintendent also taught) - Winter stayed in town at August Evers - 10 graduated in class - Walt was salutatorian.

• After graduating in 1938 went to Washington state (near Everett) with Johnnie & Arnold - had job on farm for summer - came home - helped on farm

• Spring of 1939 rented ½ section - using folks machinery & farmed (Hillard with expenses from his job) - Crop failure.

• In the fall of 1939 a government-sponsored program at North Dakota State University at Grand Forks - programs to teach skills to be used in service in case of war - lasted in the program a month because after a physical discovered a hernia & needed surgery. - Doctor would do the operation - hospital costs for 10 days was $100 - Worked then for Rudy Olsen, near home, that winter, saved $50 - Had surgery in Mcville, ND in March 1940 - Owed doctor $50 - stayed home - 

• September 1940 started work for a farmer & paid off debt

• Home in Spring of 1941 to help put in crops

• Lockheed Aircraft Co. was recruiting help in ND for their plant in Burbank, CA - applied - took aptitude test at Valley City, ND

• Left October 1, 1941 with Barney Dramstad for the job - Received 80 cents an hour as riveter & bucker - made $32 a week - $9 a week went for board & room in private home

• War broke out December 7, 1941

• Registered for draft in California

• Went back to North Dakota in July of 1942 and enlisted in Navy at Fargo, ND before being drafted

• Boot camp at Great Lakes until October 1942

• Aunt Josephine lived & worked in Chicago - visited her

• Ten days leave at home & sent to school at Norman, Oklahoma - aviation mechanics school until February 1943

• Took troop train to Treasure Island, San Francisco for further orders

• Took U.S.S. Henderson (troop ship) to Pearl Harbor for further orders (5 days to cross to Hawaii)

• Approx. May 15, 1943 (per Wikipedia it was May 7th) transferred to Carrier Aircraft Service Unit (CASU #8) and left there aboard U.S.S. Pokemake in route to South Seas to Noumea, New Caledonia. Then about June 10th, aboard the U.S.S. President Jackson (converted passenger liner to troop ship) to Guadalcanal

• June 12th, transferred to a converted yacht to Russell Islands - stationed there as aircraft work at Banika - Stayed there until November 1943 to cover the battle for Munda on Island of New Georgia.  Whole CASU #8 outfit (about 100 men) aboard a destroyer to Mono Island of the Treasury group for the Empress Augusta Bay Battle at Bougainville Island. 

• The CASU #8 unit left via aircraft in January or February 1944 in a half-hour notice - taking only clothes on their backs for Banika Island for restaging (whole new outfit).

• Unit left Banika Island via L.S.T. (Landing Ship, Tank) for Green Island (Nissan Island)

• Stayed there until June 1944 (on island to furnish aircraft for the siege of Rabaul of Island of New Brittain)

• On Green Island, Banika & Mona needed for holes (or bomb shelters) for Japanese air raids

• Unit to Green Island in June 1944, back to Banika for transfer to U.S. for R & R (Rest & Rehab) arriving at Moffit Field (on San Francisco Bay) aboard a troop ship U.S.S. Rochambeau taking 23 days

• Everyone 30 day leave & unit broken up

• Home was Frazee, MN now since parents had moved from ND in 1943

• Left Frazee Sept. 1st to Vernailes, CA (Naval Air Station) as a mechanic until September 1945 (WWII ended August 15, 1945)

• Transferred on seaplane tender on USS Tangier to Omanato, Japan, servicing a patrol squadron at Omanato

• USS Tangier left there for Hong Kong via Tokyo Bay & Saipan about Dec. 1st

• Approx. Jan 1st, 1946 transferred on an LST as troops for U.S. via Pearl Harbor, there transferred on a hospital ship as troops for San Francisco & transferred via train to Minneapolis, MN for discharge on February 9, 1946.  Spent spring & summer at folks.

• Met Vi at a dance on June 27, 1946 after sisters (Helen and Eleanor) introduced us!

• Engaged to Vi on July 27, 1946.

• Married Vi on  August 10, 1946, and the rest is history!!

Click on a link below to continue with the JOHNSON FAMILY photos and stories.

Same links as the Home page

FLATAU FAMILY 

Johnson Family (home)  - Kinstories (home)  -  Susag Family  -  Flatau Family  -  Beckman Family
Granquist Family  -  Anderson Family  -  Stout Family  -  Walker Family  -  Peterson Family  -  Morris Family  - Cauble Family