Robert Lloyd Johnson

West Point, 1951

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Jose A. "Andy" Chacon on December 14, 2007:

Robert Lloyd Johnson Born April 28, 1928 – Died December 11, 2007 Robert Lloyd Johnson was born in Browning Illinois on 28 April 1928, and was appointed to West Point from the Illinois 15th Congressional District. His West Point classmates recall; "On a hot July day in 1947'John'flung his mad youth away and strode purposely through Gray Walls. After a false start in wrestling he learned to prefer intermurder and the sack, from which he emerged occasionally to wage a losing battle for possession of his "A" pin. A yen for the Armored boosted him well above average in academics; his friends will know an emptiness when he leaves." During his cadet days, Bob went out for wrestling plebe year, was with the model railroad and art clubs, the yearling year with the French Club cow and first class years; and was a Cadet Sergeant his first class year. Upon graduation Bob was commissioned in the Infantry. After completing the basic Infantry course and parachute school, at Fort Benning, Georgia, he was assigned to the 505th Infantry Regiment at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In October 1952, he was transferred to the 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, in Korea, where he served as Platoon Leader in and Company Commander of "L" Company until severely wounded on St, Patrick's Day, 1953. His wounds resulted in amputation of his left leg, above the knee and a year of hospitalization. Retained on active duty, Bob was assigned as instructor in the Mathematics Department at West Point. He served as the principal "Goat Instructor" for plebes, until 1958. Next, Bob went to the Infantry School, at Fort Benning. In 1959, he entered the University of Arizona and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering in 1960 and a Master of Science in Astro Physics in 1961. From 1962 to 1964 Bob was assigned to the Air Defense Combat Development Command at Fort Bliss, Texas. These were formative years for air defense. The Air Defense Agency gave birth to concepts which led to the improved Hawk surface to air missile system, to the shoulder fired Redeye, and to the Patriot air defense system, which performed to near perfection in the Gulf War. Bob graduated from the Command General Staff College at Leavenworth in 1965. He was then assigned as research and development liaison officer to the Quadripartite Standardization Group with duty station at the Australian Department of Supply in Melbourne, Australia. Bob returned to CONUS in 1968 and served one year with the Office, Chief of Research and Development at the Pentagon, until 1969 when he was named to battalion command at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. From 1970 to 1971 Bob served with The Army Concepts Team in Viet Nam, and on return to stateside was assigned to Theater Army Support Command, Europe in Worms, Germany where he served until 1973. His last military assignment was as Commander, NATO Support Activity in Brussels, Belgium. In 1975 he retired from the United States Army as a Colonel. Bob and his wife Giugi made their home in Frederick Illinois. They have a family of four, with ten grandchildren.

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