DALE JOHNSON
By Troy Audet
Dale Johnson was born and raised in Endicott, Washington. His father owned his own garage and that was how he supported a family of seven. Dale spent a lot of time at his father's garage and learned how to do mechanical work. When Dale left his family home he got a job as a parts clerk. It was then that he and the love of his life, Aileen, got really serious. About that time, Pearl Harbor was bombed. Dale and Aileen decided to get married because they both knew very well that Dale was going to go fight the war. He ended up spending three years of his life in the Army Air Corps from September of 1942 to September of 1945.
Dale started his basic training at Sheppard Field in Texas. After that he was sent to the Permanent Party part of Sheppard Field where he was assigned to the Payroll Office. In September of 1943 he received orders to Muroc Air Force Base in California for overseas training with the 456th Bomb Group, 745th Bomber Squadron which was being formed to become part of the 15th Air Force.
From there he boarded a troop train to Newport News, Virginia where the unit embarked on a Liberty Ship in December 1943 for the European Theater of War. He spent thirty-one days at sea before finally getting to his destination point, Naples Italy. Once in Italy they traveled to a location about thirty-five miles south of Foggia.
When the B-24 Bombers would return to base after a mission, he would go through them and pick up forms showing A/C and engine hours. If anything was broken he would write down the parts needed and take the paper to the main office. He would then make sure the planes got the proper parts so they could go back into action.
I asked Dale what he did for entertainment while he was in Italy. It took him awhile to answer, but I think it was because it was so hard and tough for them being over there that they really didn't have time to do anything except work. He did finally say they made a trip to Rome on furlough to sightsee and he once flew to Rome in a B-24 for a slow-time breaking-in of an engine. Also a couple of times he went to the Isle of Capri for R & R.
Dale told me he wanted to join a tank battalion. I guess he wanted to see some action. Fortunately for him he was told no, because he was underweight. Otherwise, I probably would not have had a chance to talk to him.
While Dale was in Italy he learned from his wife Aileen that she had joined the Marine Corps Women's Reserve. She was able to be released from duties in November of 1945 to be at home with him. They went to Vancouver where they lived until the spring of 1948, then they moved to Aileen's father's farm. They now live in Endicott where they are retired and doing well.
AILEEN JOHNSON
By Keri Mays
Aileen Johnson grew up in Endicott and married Dale Johnson. When Dale went to war, Aileen worked at various jobs including nearly a year at Sheppard Field, near Wichita Falls, Texas. Dale was stationed there before he left for overseas duty. In the spring of 1944 Aileen quit her secretarial job at Coulee Dam and went to Minnesota to meet up with a long time pen-pal that she had corresponded with for many years and whose husband was also overseas. While there, Aileen became interested in military service for women. When her seasonal job as billing clerk for Andrews Nursery ended, she went back to Endicott.
With all the news in the papers, and people talking about the war, Aileen decided to enlist in the Marine Corps Women's Reserve. Her father did not want her to go to war, but since she was married, she was free to do whatever she wanted. Aileen enlisted in the fall of 1944 and was sent to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina for Boot Camp. After Boot Camp she was assigned to the Officer Applicant Battalion at Camp Lejeune. She worked in the Payroll Office and then in the Service Record Office.
Aileen said, "I loved my job and what I did."
Living quarters were at the women's barracks. For recreation, Aileen rented bicycles, went canoeing, and enjoyed a number of other activities available to her, such as spending a Sunday now and then on the beach and seeing movies at one of the camp theaters. While working at the Officers Applicant Battalion, Aileen by chance ran into a distant relative and after being discharged was able to travel to New York state to meet more relatives.
The war ended while she was stationed at Camp Lejeune. Her husband, Dale, was discharged and Aileen decided to join him. Since she was married she did not have to wait for the point system to be discharged, so in November she returned to Endicott. From there they located in Vancouver where Dale had his pre-service job back and Aileen worked as a secretary.
In the spring of 1948 Aileen's father wanted to teach Dale how to farm, so they moved back to Endicott, and have lived there since. They had two girls and two boys. Aileen is a member of the Women Marines Association. Her chapter buys toys for the Toys for Tots program and Aileen gives out Valentines for Vets to the veterans at the Colfax nursing home and those who are ill and homebound.
"Although no one wants war, I wouldn't take back anything about enlisting," Aileen stated. She loved working as a service woman and would have stayed longer, but the war ended. She says her greatest contribution during the war was that of taking over office work and various other jobs to free men to join the combat forces. Because of what Aileen and many other women did, the Marine Corps was able to form the 6th Division, which made a tremendous contribution to the war effort.
Aileen also said that while she was a Marine she learned always to wipe lipstick marks off of coffee cups before putting them in the dishwasher. She continues that habit to this day.