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He returned to America in the spring of 1944 after 10 months of Combat , when introduced to the members of both houses at the Capital he was hailed as America’s leading combat fighter ace, at the time he was with 28 confirmed air to air kills, Johnson flew with the famed 56th Fighter Group known as Zempke’s wolfpack. he eventually led the 61st fighter Squadron. At wars end his record stood as the 2nd highest American scoring ace in the European theater of operations, the 5th highest scoring fighter ace in American history.

Johnson went on to become a test Pilot for Republic Aircraft Corporation and eventually an executive with the firm, later moving on to become a an insurance agent for Penn Mutual on Lexington Ave in NYC having made Long Island NY his home.

In retirement Bob Johnson and his wife Barbara moved to Lake Wylie SC.

Johnson passed away while visiting relatives in his hometown of Lawton Oklahoma, Col Johnson was buried with full military honors in a small church cemetery next to his beloved wife (who predeceased him) in Lake Wylie in 1998.

On a recent trip to Charlotte NC, I drove to Lake Wylie and paid my respects to my childhood hero, in 1970 I had exchanged several letters with Col Johnson, after I built a model of his exact aircraft and shipped it to him when I was 10 years old, it sat for years on his office shelf, I had the chance to meet him in 1991.

I still have his letters like a school boy they are among my favorite possessions.

RIP