Crisp County GaArchives News.....PRIVATE WILIAM J JOHNSTON July 29, 1944
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WYLIE SHEPPARD JR http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00030.html#0007303 August 25, 2011, 2:07 pm

CORDELE DISPATCH July 29, 1944
 WASHINGTON
 PRIVATE WILLIAM J JOHNSTON OF COLCHESTER,CONN., G-1 WHO CAME BACK TO REVEAL 
GERMAN POSITIONS AFTER HE WAS BELIEVED DEAD. AND RECEIVED THE CONGRESSIONAL 
MEDAL OF HONOR FOR ACTION NEAR PADIGLIONE, ITALY.
 THIS IS ANNOUNCED BY THE WAR DEPARTMENT TONIGHT.
 USING A NIGHT MACHINE GUN, JOHNSTON HAD JEPT THE ENEMY AT BAY WHILE HIS 
COMPANY HAD RETREATED BEYOND ARTILLARY RANGE. A FEW MINUTES LATER HE WAS 
CAPTURED. SARGEANT ROBERT O.ALEXANDER OF ISABELL, OKLAHOMA,SAW HIM TRYING TO 
CRAWL UP AN EMBANKMENT TO REACH HIS MACHINE GUN.
 '' HE WAS TO WEAK TO MAKE IT,'' ALEXANDER SAID HE HELPED JOHNSTON BACK TO HIS 
MACHINE GUN AND LEFY HIM THERE WITH THREE BOXES OF AMMMUNATION.
 TEN MINUTES LATER,JOHNSTON'S MACHINE GUN STOPPED FIRING AN HIS COMPANY WAS 
SURE HE WAS DEAD. BUT JOHNSTON, WEAK FROM LOSS OF BLOOD, WORKED HIS WAY DOWN A 
CREK BED TOWARD THE AMERICAN LINES- ONLY TO COME FACE TO FACE WITH THRE 
GERMAN'S MANNING A MACHINE GUN. THEY TOOK HIM PRIONER
 THE NEXT MORNING JOHNSTON WOKE UP IN THE GERMAN COMMAND POST, MINUS HIS SHOES 
BUT NONE THE WORST FOR BEING CAPTURED. THE GERMANS HAD FLED. HE JOINED HIS 
BUDDIES OUTSIDE AND GAVE THEM AN ACCURATE ACCOUNT OF THE GERMAN TROOS.
 JOHNSTON IS RECUPERATING FROM HIS WOUNDS IN CUSHING GENERAL HOSPITAL IN 
FRAMMINGTON,MASS.

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