Leo Johnson grew to adulthood at Milwaukie, Oregon, and was educated in the town's grammar and high schools. As a lad he went to work for Wissinger's General Store at Milwaukie, first as a deliveryman, and later as a clerk and store manager. For many years he also served as assistant chief of Milwaukie's volunteer fire department.
In 1903, Leo began a career with the Oregon National Guard at Camp Benson (later renamed Camp Withycombe) in Clackamas, Oregon. He was first trained as a civilian reservist artilleryman, but eventually rose to the rank of first lieutenant with Battery A, a field artillery unit. From June 1916 until February 1917 he was assigned to a detachment of Oregon Guardsmen sent to New Mexico on a training mission during the Mexican Border Expedition. This was the famous military operation conducted by the U. S. Army under the command of General John "Black Jack" Pershing (1860-1948) against Francisco "Pancho" Villa, a Mexican paramilitary leader and border raider whose small army had attacked the town of Columbus, New Mexico, and murdered several U. S. citizens. The leadership qualities Leo demonstrated in the Mexican Campaign were rewarded upon his return to Camp Withycombe by his superiors, who chose him to first organize, and later lead, Battery B, a field artillery unit. Leo's commission as Battery B's first captain was formally activated in July 1917, three months after the entry of the United States into World War I.
In January 1918, after a period of training at Camp Mills, New York, Leo and the other men of Battery B joined the American Expeditionary Force in France for further training and formation. Beginning in May 1918, Leo served as a captain in the 147th Field Artillery Brigade, a unit that saw heavy action and casualties as it supported the front-line activities of the AEF's 32nd and 41st Divisions. He sustained minor battle wounds that fall during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the last major battle of the war. In May 1919, Leo sailed from Brest, France, aboard the battleship U.S.S. Kansas, bound for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and soon afterward was mustered out at Camp Lewis, Washington. He later remained active for some years as a member of the Officers' Reserve Corps, and served as senior vice commander in a local post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Leo's military adventures and the many decorations and citations he received, as well as the comradeship of other veterans, remained a source of pride to him throughout the remainder of his life.
In 1920 Leo and his business partner, Joseph Dahlman (1876-1956), established the Milwaukie Mercantile Company, a retail grocery store in the town's central shopping district. Leo continued in this occupation until 1943 when poor health necessitated his retirement.
No children were born to Leo and his first wife, Mary Hamilton, a grade school teacher, whom he married at Portland, Oregon, on November 8, 1919. As a child, Mary had lived briefly in Moscow, Idaho; Walla Walla, Washington; and St. Helens, Oregon, before settling in Milwaukie with her parents in 1913. She died at 28 from medical complications following surgery to repair an intestinal blockage.
On October 6, 1926, Leo married Elizabeth Duffy at Portland, Oregon. Elizabeth, a Portland native, was the daughter of a local butcher. She was a 1919 graduate of St. Vincent Hospital's School of Nursing in Portland, and later enjoyed a long career as a Registered Nurse and anesthetist with local hospitals. Leo and Elizabeth had one son. The family lived first in Milwaukie, Oregon, then moved to Portland after Leo's retirement from business in 1943. Frequent outings were made to Long Beach, Washington, where the Johnsons owned a small vacation cottage. Beginning in 1953, Leo and Elizabeth resided in Vancouver, Washington, where Elizabeth held a nursing position at St. Joseph Hospital until her retirement.
Leo Johnson's death at 76 followed many years of declining health. During her widowhood, Elizabeth Johnson made her home in Milwaukie, Oregon. She died at 81 after a brief illness.
In 1903, Leo began a career with the Oregon National Guard at Camp Benson (later renamed Camp Withycombe) in Clackamas, Oregon. He was first trained as a civilian reservist artilleryman, but eventually rose to the rank of first lieutenant with Battery A, a field artillery unit. From June 1916 until February 1917 he was assigned to a detachment of Oregon Guardsmen sent to New Mexico on a training mission during the Mexican Border Expedition. This was the famous military operation conducted by the U. S. Army under the command of General John "Black Jack" Pershing (1860-1948) against Francisco "Pancho" Villa, a Mexican paramilitary leader and border raider whose small army had attacked the town of Columbus, New Mexico, and murdered several U. S. citizens. The leadership qualities Leo demonstrated in the Mexican Campaign were rewarded upon his return to Camp Withycombe by his superiors, who chose him to first organize, and later lead, Battery B, a field artillery unit. Leo's commission as Battery B's first captain was formally activated in July 1917, three months after the entry of the United States into World War I.
In January 1918, after a period of training at Camp Mills, New York, Leo and the other men of Battery B joined the American Expeditionary Force in France for further training and formation. Beginning in May 1918, Leo served as a captain in the 147th Field Artillery Brigade, a unit that saw heavy action and casualties as it supported the front-line activities of the AEF's 32nd and 41st Divisions. He sustained minor battle wounds that fall during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the last major battle of the war. In May 1919, Leo sailed from Brest, France, aboard the battleship U.S.S. Kansas, bound for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and soon afterward was mustered out at Camp Lewis, Washington. He later remained active for some years as a member of the Officers' Reserve Corps, and served as senior vice commander in a local post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Leo's military adventures and the many decorations and citations he received, as well as the comradeship of other veterans, remained a source of pride to him throughout the remainder of his life.
In 1920 Leo and his business partner, Joseph Dahlman (1876-1956), established the Milwaukie Mercantile Company, a retail grocery store in the town's central shopping district. Leo continued in this occupation until 1943 when poor health necessitated his retirement.
No children were born to Leo and his first wife, Mary Hamilton, a grade school teacher, whom he married at Portland, Oregon, on November 8, 1919. As a child, Mary had lived briefly in Moscow, Idaho; Walla Walla, Washington; and St. Helens, Oregon, before settling in Milwaukie with her parents in 1913. She died at 28 from medical complications following surgery to repair an intestinal blockage.
On October 6, 1926, Leo married Elizabeth Duffy at Portland, Oregon. Elizabeth, a Portland native, was the daughter of a local butcher. She was a 1919 graduate of St. Vincent Hospital's School of Nursing in Portland, and later enjoyed a long career as a Registered Nurse and anesthetist with local hospitals. Leo and Elizabeth had one son. The family lived first in Milwaukie, Oregon, then moved to Portland after Leo's retirement from business in 1943. Frequent outings were made to Long Beach, Washington, where the Johnsons owned a small vacation cottage. Beginning in 1953, Leo and Elizabeth resided in Vancouver, Washington, where Elizabeth held a nursing position at St. Joseph Hospital until her retirement.
Leo Johnson's death at 76 followed many years of declining health. During her widowhood, Elizabeth Johnson made her home in Milwaukie, Oregon. She died at 81 after a brief illness.
Leo Johnson grew to adulthood at Milwaukie, Oregon, and was educated in the town's grammar and high schools. As a lad he went to work for Wissinger's General Store at Milwaukie, first as a deliveryman, and later as a clerk and store manager. For many years he also served as assistant chief of Milwaukie's volunteer fire department.
In 1903, Leo began a career with the Oregon National Guard at Camp Benson (later renamed Camp Withycombe) in Clackamas, Oregon. He was first trained as a civilian reservist artilleryman, but eventually rose to the rank of first lieutenant with Battery A, a field artillery unit. From June 1916 until February 1917 he was assigned to a detachment of Oregon Guardsmen sent to New Mexico on a training mission during the Mexican Border Expedition. This was the famous military operation conducted by the U. S. Army under the command of General John "Black Jack" Pershing (1860-1948) against Francisco "Pancho" Villa, a Mexican paramilitary leader and border raider whose small army had attacked the town of Columbus, New Mexico, and murdered several U. S. citizens. The leadership qualities Leo demonstrated in the Mexican Campaign were rewarded upon his return to Camp Withycombe by his superiors, who chose him to first organize, and later lead, Battery B, a field artillery unit. Leo's commission as Battery B's first captain was formally activated in July 1917, three months after the entry of the United States into World War I.
In January 1918, after a period of training at Camp Mills, New York, Leo and the other men of Battery B joined the American Expeditionary Force in France for further training and formation. Beginning in May 1918, Leo served as a captain in the 147th Field Artillery Brigade, a unit that saw heavy action and casualties as it supported the front-line activities of the AEF's 32nd and 41st Divisions. He sustained minor battle wounds that fall during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the last major battle of the war. In May 1919, Leo sailed from Brest, France, aboard the battleship U.S.S. Kansas, bound for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and soon afterward was mustered out at Camp Lewis, Washington. He later remained active for some years as a member of the Officers' Reserve Corps, and served as senior vice commander in a local post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Leo's military adventures and the many decorations and citations he received, as well as the comradeship of other veterans, remained a source of pride to him throughout the remainder of his life.
In 1920 Leo and his business partner, Joseph Dahlman (1876-1956), established the Milwaukie Mercantile Company, a retail grocery store in the town's central shopping district. Leo continued in this occupation until 1943 when poor health necessitated his retirement.
No children were born to Leo and his first wife, Mary Hamilton, a grade school teacher, whom he married at Portland, Oregon, on November 8, 1919. As a child, Mary had lived briefly in Moscow, Idaho; Walla Walla, Washington; and St. Helens, Oregon, before settling in Milwaukie with her parents in 1913. She died at 28 from medical complications following surgery to repair an intestinal blockage.
On October 6, 1926, Leo married Elizabeth Duffy at Portland, Oregon. Elizabeth, a Portland native, was the daughter of a local butcher. She was a 1919 graduate of St. Vincent Hospital's School of Nursing in Portland, and later enjoyed a long career as a Registered Nurse and anesthetist with local hospitals. Leo and Elizabeth had one son. The family lived first in Milwaukie, Oregon, then moved to Portland after Leo's retirement from business in 1943. Frequent outings were made to Long Beach, Washington, where the Johnsons owned a small vacation cottage. Beginning in 1953, Leo and Elizabeth resided in Vancouver, Washington, where Elizabeth held a nursing position at St. Joseph Hospital until her retirement.
Leo Johnson's death at 76 followed many years of declining health. During her widowhood, Elizabeth Johnson made her home in Milwaukie, Oregon. She died at 81 after a brief illness.
In 1903, Leo began a career with the Oregon National Guard at Camp Benson (later renamed Camp Withycombe) in Clackamas, Oregon. He was first trained as a civilian reservist artilleryman, but eventually rose to the rank of first lieutenant with Battery A, a field artillery unit. From June 1916 until February 1917 he was assigned to a detachment of Oregon Guardsmen sent to New Mexico on a training mission during the Mexican Border Expedition. This was the famous military operation conducted by the U. S. Army under the command of General John "Black Jack" Pershing (1860-1948) against Francisco "Pancho" Villa, a Mexican paramilitary leader and border raider whose small army had attacked the town of Columbus, New Mexico, and murdered several U. S. citizens. The leadership qualities Leo demonstrated in the Mexican Campaign were rewarded upon his return to Camp Withycombe by his superiors, who chose him to first organize, and later lead, Battery B, a field artillery unit. Leo's commission as Battery B's first captain was formally activated in July 1917, three months after the entry of the United States into World War I.
In January 1918, after a period of training at Camp Mills, New York, Leo and the other men of Battery B joined the American Expeditionary Force in France for further training and formation. Beginning in May 1918, Leo served as a captain in the 147th Field Artillery Brigade, a unit that saw heavy action and casualties as it supported the front-line activities of the AEF's 32nd and 41st Divisions. He sustained minor battle wounds that fall during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the last major battle of the war. In May 1919, Leo sailed from Brest, France, aboard the battleship U.S.S. Kansas, bound for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and soon afterward was mustered out at Camp Lewis, Washington. He later remained active for some years as a member of the Officers' Reserve Corps, and served as senior vice commander in a local post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Leo's military adventures and the many decorations and citations he received, as well as the comradeship of other veterans, remained a source of pride to him throughout the remainder of his life.
In 1920 Leo and his business partner, Joseph Dahlman (1876-1956), established the Milwaukie Mercantile Company, a retail grocery store in the town's central shopping district. Leo continued in this occupation until 1943 when poor health necessitated his retirement.
No children were born to Leo and his first wife, Mary Hamilton, a grade school teacher, whom he married at Portland, Oregon, on November 8, 1919. As a child, Mary had lived briefly in Moscow, Idaho; Walla Walla, Washington; and St. Helens, Oregon, before settling in Milwaukie with her parents in 1913. She died at 28 from medical complications following surgery to repair an intestinal blockage.
On October 6, 1926, Leo married Elizabeth Duffy at Portland, Oregon. Elizabeth, a Portland native, was the daughter of a local butcher. She was a 1919 graduate of St. Vincent Hospital's School of Nursing in Portland, and later enjoyed a long career as a Registered Nurse and anesthetist with local hospitals. Leo and Elizabeth had one son. The family lived first in Milwaukie, Oregon, then moved to Portland after Leo's retirement from business in 1943. Frequent outings were made to Long Beach, Washington, where the Johnsons owned a small vacation cottage. Beginning in 1953, Leo and Elizabeth resided in Vancouver, Washington, where Elizabeth held a nursing position at St. Joseph Hospital until her retirement.
Leo Johnson's death at 76 followed many years of declining health. During her widowhood, Elizabeth Johnson made her home in Milwaukie, Oregon. She died at 81 after a brief illness.
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