James Edmund Johnson, USMC, has never been celebrated on the cover of Life, Time, or the Marine Corps Gazette. In fact, many of the residents of his hometown of Pocatello, Idaho would not be able to identify this paragon of their proud community. However, his act of valor in 1950 during the Chosin Reservoir Battle of the Korean War earned him a posthumous Congressional Medal of Honor, and continues to be a shining example of extraordinary bravery in combat circumstances sixty-two years hence. Now, author and psychologist Terence W. Barrett memorializes this American hero in his unprecedented biography, Remembering James Edmund Johnson, USMC: Pocatello's "Number One Hero Of The Korean War." By honoring his courage, he rises again. In providing the only comprehensive telling of Johnson's remarkable life, the author has uncovered details of Sergeant James E. Johnson's ancestors going back to the American Civil War, providing a psychological context that illuminates the subject's ultimate sacrifice on behalf of his men. Barrett also avails of the research provided by Johnson's only daughter, Stephanie Elizabeth Johnson Mckay, whose longstanding search for information on him was her only means of learning of her father's fate and bringing the intrepid sergeant back to life. The book assembles public records, personal recollections, and more to create a living, breathing portrait of Johnson, from the bravery of his forebears to the seminal moment that defines his story. Starting with an encapsulation of Johnson's ancestors, the author paints a story of pioneering spirit and patriotic duty that is clearly part of the subject's DNA. From there, the book covers his family's move to Pocatello, Idaho; the Marines in the South Pacific and Okinawa; the Korean War; and his final, life-changing action during the Chosin Reservoir Battle. The book also returns to present-day to reflect upon the trajectory of this uncommon life. Rigorously researched and reverently told, Remembering James Edmund Johnson, USMC: Pocatello's "Number One Hero Of The Korean War" is a long-awaited tribute to a military hero that was created wholly from American cloth, from immigrant ancestors, and from the spirit of his small town upbringing. Remembering his ultimate sacrifice for this country is no less than a national mandate. History buffs, leadership trainers, and anyone who seeks out stories that capture the American psyche in its finest hours will find a meaningful read in this moving and memorable tale of a courageous leader and a proud American.
About the Author: TERENCE W. BARRETT graduated from the College of Wooster, Ohio. After seven years in the U.S. Marine Corps, he earned advanced degrees from the University of Southern California, North Dakota State University, and the University of North Dakota. He retired from the North Dakota Air National Guard after twenty years of military service. A licensed psychologist, he practices in Fargo, ND, travels across the states to present seminars, and teaches at North Dakota State University. He is the charter president of the ND Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and a clinical consultant at the Fargo VET Center.