Earl H. Johnson was born on November 23, 1919, in Kansas. He resided in Haskell County, Kansas, prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on July 27, 1940, prior to the war, in Wichita, Kansas. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed in the production of bakery products and also as Single, without dependents.

Earl served in the 861st Bomber Squadron, 493rd Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Captain and Pilot on the B-17G #43-38359 during World War II. On November 5, 1944, he was Killed in Action when his B-17 was hit by flak and burst into flames over their target, an oil refinery in Ludwigshafen, Germany. Out of 11, five crew members were able to parachute out, but they were taken as prisoners, and the rest were killed in the crash.

Cpt Johnson is now buried in the Fort McPherson National Cemetery, Nebraska, in the same grave with TSgt Koch, and 1Lt Fetters. His name is listed on the 493rd Bomber Group Honor Roll located in St. Mary the Virgin Church, Clopton, England, but his middle initial is inscribed as M.

Airmen who perished on B-17G #43-38359:
Fetters, Donald J ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, CA
Guzik, John ~ Capt, Observer, OH
Johnson, Earl H ~ Capt, Pilot, KS
Lewis, John L, Jr ~ T/Sgt, Photographer, PA
Marsh, Warren B ~ T/Sgt, Top Turret Gunner, CO
McCombs, John D ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, IL

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.americanairmuseum.com