MONROE - Like thousands of men of his generation, Alvin Johnson answered his country's call during World War II.
Johnson, who looks much younger than his 91 years, entered the United States Army in April 1942. His two brothers, Bill and Walter, also served in the military during the war. His brother, Bill, was a Marine, and his brother, Walter, was in the Navy.
Joining the military was just something he wanted to do a few months after the United States entered the war in December 1941, he said.
"I volunteered," he proudly said. "What else could I do?"
Johnson found himself in the Army Air Corps, the forerunner of the Air Force, in 1942. Within a few months of enlisting he was crew chief on a P-40 fighter plane.
"It was my plane," he smiled.
It was Johnson's responsibility to make sure everything on the plane was in working order, he said. When his plane was shot down, "They'd give me another one."
By 1942, British troops in North Africa had been pushed back to Cairo, Egypt. Johnson and the Americans sent to fight the German army had to push the Nazis back from the ancient city.
"The British told us there was no more room for retreat," he said.
For the next few months his plane, and thousands of others like it, provided cover for the American troops as they battled the Germans across the sands of Africa. Eventually, the Germans were defeated in Africa and Allies could focus on Italy.
Fighting in Italy meant many more months of continuous air battles.
"We'd get a call that the troops were ready to move and we were up in the air within 10 minutes," he said of the Italian campaign.
Day after day, week after week, he and others like him helped lead the fight against the Germans through the air. There was no place to go to get away from the war.
The airmen got some time off but all they could really do was stay around the base and try to relax as best they could. Even when they rested, they knew there was more work to do. They knew more of their friends would be shot out of the sky.
"We lost a lot of pilots and planes," Johnson said.
He still gets choked up when he talks about the friends who died. Johnson listed many of them in the daily logs he kept during the war and still has.
"Toughness only gets you so far," he said.
Thoughts of home kept Johnson going and gave him the strength he needed to get through difficult times.
He received mail sporadically throughout the war and faithfully wrote home to his parents. Johnson never wanted to tell them where he was or what he was doing because he knew they would worry about him. Johnson's brothers followed the same practice, he said.
Johnson also knew he had a girl back home in Chicago who was going to marry him once the war was over.
Johnson smiled as he looked at a picture of his wife, Mary, who as a young girl kept in close contact with his family. The slightly faded photo he's kept for more than 60 years shows a young woman whose looks rivaled some of the actresses of the time.
"Now you see why I wanted to marry her," he smiled.
After Italy surrendered and the Germans were defeated, Johnson transferred to France and later spent the last few days of the war in Germany.
"I told my mom the Germans surrendered when they found out I was there," he laughed.
Within a few months of Japan's surrender in September 1945, Johnson was back home in Chicago and married.
He and Mary raised five children during their 62 years of marriage.
He still wonders at some of the things he and the other airmen, so young at the time, did and finds it hard to believe they were able to accomplish so much.
Johnson, who looks much younger than his 91 years, entered the United States Army in April 1942. His two brothers, Bill and Walter, also served in the military during the war. His brother, Bill, was a Marine, and his brother, Walter, was in the Navy.
Joining the military was just something he wanted to do a few months after the United States entered the war in December 1941, he said.
"I volunteered," he proudly said. "What else could I do?"
Johnson found himself in the Army Air Corps, the forerunner of the Air Force, in 1942. Within a few months of enlisting he was crew chief on a P-40 fighter plane.
"It was my plane," he smiled.
It was Johnson's responsibility to make sure everything on the plane was in working order, he said. When his plane was shot down, "They'd give me another one."
By 1942, British troops in North Africa had been pushed back to Cairo, Egypt. Johnson and the Americans sent to fight the German army had to push the Nazis back from the ancient city.
"The British told us there was no more room for retreat," he said.
For the next few months his plane, and thousands of others like it, provided cover for the American troops as they battled the Germans across the sands of Africa. Eventually, the Germans were defeated in Africa and Allies could focus on Italy.
Fighting in Italy meant many more months of continuous air battles.
"We'd get a call that the troops were ready to move and we were up in the air within 10 minutes," he said of the Italian campaign.
Day after day, week after week, he and others like him helped lead the fight against the Germans through the air. There was no place to go to get away from the war.
The airmen got some time off but all they could really do was stay around the base and try to relax as best they could. Even when they rested, they knew there was more work to do. They knew more of their friends would be shot out of the sky.
"We lost a lot of pilots and planes," Johnson said.
He still gets choked up when he talks about the friends who died. Johnson listed many of them in the daily logs he kept during the war and still has.
"Toughness only gets you so far," he said.
Thoughts of home kept Johnson going and gave him the strength he needed to get through difficult times.
He received mail sporadically throughout the war and faithfully wrote home to his parents. Johnson never wanted to tell them where he was or what he was doing because he knew they would worry about him. Johnson's brothers followed the same practice, he said.
Johnson also knew he had a girl back home in Chicago who was going to marry him once the war was over.
Johnson smiled as he looked at a picture of his wife, Mary, who as a young girl kept in close contact with his family. The slightly faded photo he's kept for more than 60 years shows a young woman whose looks rivaled some of the actresses of the time.
"Now you see why I wanted to marry her," he smiled.
After Italy surrendered and the Germans were defeated, Johnson transferred to France and later spent the last few days of the war in Germany.
"I told my mom the Germans surrendered when they found out I was there," he laughed.
Within a few months of Japan's surrender in September 1945, Johnson was back home in Chicago and married.
He and Mary raised five children during their 62 years of marriage.
He still wonders at some of the things he and the other airmen, so young at the time, did and finds it hard to believe they were able to accomplish so much.