William J. Johnston

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. William J. Johnston, Sr., (August 15, 1918 - May 29, 1990) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration-the Medal of Honor-for his actions in World War II. Johnston joined the Army from Colchester, Connecticut, and by February 17, 1944 was serving as a private first class in Company G, 180th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division. On that day and the following day, near Padiglione, Italy, he manned his machine gun without rest, twice staying behind to cover his unit's withdrawal. Although seriously wounded on February 18, he continued to man his gun until being overrun by German forces. He was able to make his way back to friendly lines on the 19th and provided valuable information on German positions. For these actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor seven months later, on September 6, 1944.