US Army Corporal Ashley Theadore Johnson was born in Canoe, Escambia County, Alabama on December 18, 1917, the son of Garnet Wolsey Johnson (1881-1919) and Pinkie M. Barrow (1886-1978). His father grew up on his parent's farm in Canoe and after he married Pinkie in 1904 they continued with the only life they knew. Sadly, Garnet would pass away prematurely in 1919 leaving Pinkie a young widow still in Canoe. Luckily her three oldest sons Garnet 15, Jessie 13, and Hillary 12 were able to assist with the farm work. By 1930, they were living with a son in Pollard, Alabama and still farming. Ten years later, they were in Bluff Springs with Ashley working for Lee Davis in Flomaton.
Then came the war after the Germans invaded Poland in 1939. Even though America was still not involved Ashely enlisted in the US Army on November 13, 1940, in Montgomery, Alabama. Likely it was because the family had little money and America was still in the throes of the Great Depression. Regardless of his reasons, from this point on his military records gets more confusing. His tombstone indicates he was a member of the instructor corps given his rank and length of service at the Camp Croft training base in Spartanburg, South Carolina. There, the base was comprised of five training regiments of which Ashley was assigned to the 8th Infantry Training Regiment that was broke down into three training battalions. Of these, Ashley was part of the 28th Battalion, Company "G". Likewise, a hospital admission report states a soldier with his name and date was killed in a jeep accident from abdominal injuries.
However, his obituary stated he was killed in action in New Guinea on September 12, 1944. His obit also lists his mother and siblings by name as next of kin and his burial site as the Springfield Cemetery in Flomaton, Alabama. His tombstone in the cemetery however lists him as killed with the training battalion in Spartanburg.
Regardless of his manner of death, Ashley still gave his life for his country in her hour of need and deserves the honor and respect so dutifully earned. Perhaps a member of the family will be able to clear up this mystery at a later date.
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