Name
Hometown
Dunning, Nebraska
Biography
Donald Johnson was one of the first students from the Nebraska State Teachers College at Kearney to be killed in the war. He was a popular student at the college. He was a member of the Phi Tau Gamma fraternity, the basketball team, and numerous other sports teams.
He joined the Army in 1940, and graduated flight training in July 1940. He then went to Great Britain as a military observer and instructor to the R.A.F. in the use of the American B-17 bomber. In early 1942 Lt. Johnson was sent back to the U.S. as a flight instructor around Tucson, Arizona. He was killed during a training flight when his plane encountered mechanical problems.
Branch of Service
Army Air Force
Rank
Lieutenant
Military Occupational Specialty
B-17 Pilot/ Pilot Trainer
Death Date
4-4-1942
Original Source Location
UNK Archives Briggs Collection, Box 23, Folder 4, Envelope 4
Photograph of Donald Johnson (high quality)
Briggs-B23-Env-4-Donald-Johnson-2.jpg (585 kB)
News clipping of Donald Johnson
Recommended Citation
"Donald Wayne Johnson" (1942). World War II Casualties. 14.
https://openspaces.unk.edu/wwii-casualties/14
Additional Information
Additional information available in the 1946 Blue and Gold yearbook, viewable at http://library.unk.edu/archives/ . If you'd like to schedule a visit to view these materials in person, or if you'd like to submit additional information, please contact us.