The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-12-20
Silver Star Awarded
MajorA. Allen Johnson
Former Waterburan, National Commander of LegicI
of VaOr TO Receive Award at New Haven

New Haven, Dec. 2O-Additional
honors have been bestowed upon
Major A. Allen Johnson, Of New
Haevn, National Commander of the
Army and Navy Legion of Valor, for
his valorous deeds during the first
World Wa, with the award Of the
Silver Star Medal this week by the
| War Department, according to q
communication received from Ma
jor-General J. A. Ulio, the Adjutant
General.
The Silver Star Medal will be
formally presented to Major john
son, on date to be announced
later, at a Retreat and Review
ceremony of the Walton Cadets of
the Army Air Forces Training Com
mand School at Yale University,
which will be held on the historic
Green in the center of New Haven.
Major Johnson, who is at present
an Aide-de- on Gov. Ray
mond E. Baldwin's staff; and the
commanding officer of Company
"a" of the Connecticut State
Guard with the ranl' of captain;
has been a member of the Cover
nor's Foot Guard for many years.
He served throughout the first
World War with Co. CO.. 102nd In
fantry, Goth (Yankee) Division and
as sniper and scout on special as
signment at tie froHt with Army
intelligence.
Before returning to this country
in 1919, Major Johnson was decor
ated in France by thi, country with
the award of the Distinguished
Service Cross and by France with
the Croix dc Guerre with Palms for
meritorious deeds above and beyond
the call of duty against the armed
enemy. He was wounded in action
and has been awarded the Order OF
the Purple Heart
The details of the specific act of
bravery for which Major johnson
was awarded the Silver Star Medal
as covered by citation contained
in General Orders No. SO, Head
quarters, Goth Division, dated Oct.
16, 1918, are as follows:
"a. Allen Johnson, with four
other men, volunteered to wipe out
machine-gun emplacement which
was holdi.l.. back an entire Battal-
ion. Johnson md the other four
men were part Of SHIPPER and
| Scout detachment which patrolled
NO Mans Lard" the entire night
before scheduled attack which
was to take place the next morning,
so that a Battalion could advance
into the town of Marcheville. Each
/ time one Of the men from the Bat
/ talon was seen or tried to advance,
| he was shot down by the enemy
machine gun crew. 1t was necessary
| to wipe out this machine-gun en-
placement so that Colonel Hiram
| Bearss could advance with his Bat
/ talon. Johnson and the 4 other
/ Shippers tried for time to pick off
| the enemy machine gun crew with
| their rifles, but were unable to get
a good shot at them, as they were
shooting through holes in the
trench. Johnson then took it upon
himself to assign the other men
to remain in the trench and draw
llIc 1lUlll llIC CllCIAly Ny pAlOCUAAAS, O."
their location in order to let them
know where they were and to have
the enemy concentrate on the
trench where the four men were
placed while Johnson tried single
handed to make the attack. The en-
envy machine-gun emplacement was
around a sharp bend of the trench
and behind about 20 feet of crisis
crossed barbed wire, so that it was
next to impossible, or in other words
suicide to attack the enemy
stronghold unless they were attack
ed from thu top 0 the trench. How
ever, Johnson CHANGED crawling
over the top Of the trench on his
stomach. When within about 80 feet
Of their machine gun emplacemant,
J the enemy opened up the machine
gun on him and missed him only BY