Two
veteran
discusses
life
and
its
experiences
with
Henry Michell
Photo of David Charles
Johnson by Henry Michell; Story contents as told by David Charles Johnson
during Remembrance Day luncheon in Burns Lake, B.C.
David Charles Johnson,
84, was born on December 19, 1922 in Hazelton, B. C. He recounted this story to
me in November 2007, in Burns Lake B.C.. At the age of 17 years, when young and
fit, he decided to enlist, as a trooper, in the Canadian Army on April 1, 1941
in Terrace, B. C. He got discharged on October 5, 1945 in Vancouver, B. C..
While in the army, he
acquired medals and decorations: 1939-45 Star, Italy Star, France and Germany
Star, Defence Medal, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal, with Clasp and War Medal
1939-45.
Before the war, he was
with a few regiments, such as Ottawa and Prince Rupert Rocky Mountain Rangers,
and later then, they moved from Kamloops to Vancouver, B. C., which was about
359 miles and took about a month.
Before long he was
overseas, and at the time, they were fighting at Libya, Africa. He was moving
on a big ship and went around to Egypt, sailed the Mediterranean and landed in
Sicily, Italy. It's a nice country, says he, who enjoyed the heat and lots of
fruits like oranges, apples, cantaloupes and pears. Also, lots of vegetables
like potatoes.
He didn't mind going
overseas except for the long travel periods, and he used a machine gun in an
infantry. A big native Sergeant told an officer to dig his own trench. The
officer died and lost his head because he didn't believe him.
Everybody had to dig
their own trench, which was about 10 feet apart. During the day they fought and
dug their own trench at night. The best times to move was early in the morning
or during the night.
At night, they were
crossing the canal in a rubber boat and he recalls close combat with Germans
often occupying the same canal. He ended up in a hospital and doesn't remember
how he wound up in there, except the enemy they blew a hole through the wall
where he was staying.
He was blown from one room
to the next room and there's shrapnel imbedded in his head that the doctors
don't want to take it out because it's close to the brain. Johnson was supposed
to stay in hospital for 10 days, but, stayed only for 4 days. He hitchhiked to
the front lines with a messenger who was taking orders to and from the
Generals.
In the rear area the
Salvation Army would give infantry some coffee. In the front lines, the
infantry would move about 100 yards-then go down. Then, the second wave would go
over and they would go 100 yards. To kill somebody, they used anything from a
blue steel dagger or grenade. The grenade can kill a person within 200 yards.
Johnson said it was a
rough game, but, they looked after you with showers, clean underwear and
uniform every two weeks. They were on the front lines for 14 days and got two
days off; then up 18 days and two to three weeks off.
When they were off, they
ate good meals, were allowed to have cameras and watch the old black and white
movies except for war movies. You could write letters back home if you
wanted. For example, his girlfriend, from Kispiox, B. C., would write him a
letter that took about a month to be delivered.
It was a rough life.
They ate bully beef (cow meat), sardines and strong crackers, which can be put
in their packsack. They made tea with sugar, which was included. They didn't
eat very often, maybe one or two times a week with real food.
They were supposed to
have a hot meal every 48 hours-sometimes they were lucky to get one or two a
week. If you got hungry, they would give you a little strong, pink pill, like
food, which was just enough for two to three days.
Most of his friends got
killed in the war. Two of his friends died instantly when they got killed by a
shockwave and the pressure from a bomb.
When he got out of the
army, he had problems with nightmares, pains in his hands, ears and hips once
in awhile. He had learned to speak Italian, but, has since forgotten it now.
In Hazelton, B. C., he
married his first wife. He bought the land, two bedroom house and a sawmill for
$300.00 and lived with his first wife for 14 years. He learned to saw from the
Finland or Dutchman people in Houston, B.C., and Sam Gerow, from Gerow Island,
in Burns Lake, B. C.
He can saw 15,000 board
feet a day, as he was a sawyer for 15 years for different people in such places
like Prince George, B. C. In the 1940's, they were paying about $1.00 per hour,
but, he was paying his workers two to three dollars per hour. Then he was a
janitor at the hospital in Terrace, B. C., while his first wife departed with
all his clothes back to Hazelton, B. C.
Back then, there were no
buses, there were trains, which cost about $6.00 from Hazelton-Prince Rupert,
B. C. He was on the white list and issued a blue card, from the army, which
stated that he was allowed to buy liquor from the bar or liquor store. Beer
wasn't allowed on the Native reserves.
In the bar, a case of
beer costs about $2.00 to $3.00 and a big bottle of whiskey about $3.25. Now,
it’s about $22.00 for a case of beer. If you sit in the bar, it cost you $0.10
cents for a glass of beer.
David and his wife,
Frazie George, lived together for 47 years. She died 13 years ago.
He met Frazie George
from Topley Landing, B. C. and went back to work, as a truck driver, in
Hazelton, B. C.
From years in logging
the big wood, not like toothpicks now, he learned to run a skidder, front end
loader, grader and the ferry barge in Granisle, B. C.
In Kispiox, B. C., he used
to visit his mom, who cooked and make tea or coffee. In Glenn Vowel, he
attended school and went only to grade 6. Most of the time, his dad was
trapping and he was in the bush.
He recollects that the
Potlatch is an old Native tradition where they paid the workers for funeral
expenses like in the olden days. He speaks Gitxsan fluently when somebody comes
around for a visit at his daughter Karen’s residence.
During his spare time, he cleans up the house when his feeling
okay. He believes that he is a better driver than these white people in Burns
Lake, B. C. . He likes driving around town and helping people with groceries.
David mentions, "I live a good life right now. I hope I can live for a few
more years.”
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