Portrait of Robert G. Johnson
Born October 12, 1926 in Gloucester
Rank: Seaman 1st Class. Service: US Navy. Division/Ship: AVI2 Pine Island. Theater: Pacific. Dates of Service: 1944 - 1946

Bunks were stacked eight-high on the AVI2 Pine Island, a seaplane tender, on which Robert Johnson served. That ship ended up taking him literally around the world. The Riverdale boy was fresh out of high school in December 1944 when he was drafted into the Navy. Originally sent to the Naval Air Technical Training Center and trained as a radio operator, the impending end of the war meant that he never got to use his skills. He put in for overseas duty and was assigned to Pine Island that was busy assisting with seaplane operations off Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and Tokyo Bay supporting US occupation forces. In 1946 the ship headed east and through the Suez Canal before heading home. Johnson's first job on his return to Gloucester was working for Clarence Birdseye at General Seafood Company. He then trained as an electrician and worked for Deering Electric for 40 years. He and his wife Helen (Abbott) have been married for65 years and have two children and one grandchild (at the time).