By Maddy Vitale
When people describe Sea Isle City resident Bill Johnson, they call him a treasure, someone who always has a smile, a kind word and a joke, for anyone who stops to listen.
But to those who really know him, they think of much more. He is a wonderful father, grandfather, great-grandfather and great-great grandfather, was a loving husband and above all, is a decorated World War II Army veteran.
The public got a glimpse of this remarkable 97-year-old man, when he served as grand marshal of the Sea Isle St. Patrick’s Day parade Saturday. He waved to the crowd from a seat in the bed of a pickup truck, wearing an Eagles T-shirt, a long coat and a gold sash that read: Grand Marshal.
“I think it is an extreme honor that the mayor asked me to do this,” Johnson remarked moments before the parade procession started.
Serving as grand marshal of the parade was the latest distinction for a man who has made an incredible journey through life, including going into the service Aug. 28, 1942 as a radio operator and later also becoming a marksman. He was stationed in the Aleutian Islands with the 582nd Signal Air Warning Battalion. The battalion was shipped to Europe and they were in Germany, Italy and France.
Johnson received many war commendations for his service, including an American Campaign medal, the European African Middle Eastern Ribbon with two bronze stars, the Adriatic ribbon with one bronze star and a good conduct medal, according to his son Larry Johnson, of Pennsylvania and Sea Isle.
By age 25, and with all his commendations, Bill Johnson was discharged from active duty as a corporal-fittingly on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 1945.
Katherine Custer, public information officer for Sea Isle, remarked that Johnson always participates in the city’s Veterans Day ceremonies and leads the Pledge of Allegiance.
“He is very friendly and always has a smile for people,” Custer said. “He is a wonderful representation of our greatest generation.”
Mayor Lenny Desiderio said he was happy to make Johnson grand marshal of this year’s parade.
“He is a World War II vet. He lives in Sea Isle and is still very active,” Desiderio said. “He is a real treasure.”
Reflecting Bill Johnson’s zest for life was after the parade, he went to the post-parade celebration at the mayor’s restaurant Kix McNutley’s.
His son was concerned what he might do.
“I am not embellishing. He’d see people dancing the jig and try to go out there,” Larry said. “I told the mayor not to let him go out on the dance floor.”
Larry recalled a recent phone call from his dad.
“He said, ‘You’ll never guess what happened. I was sitting watching television and the mayor knocked on the door and said, ‘Hey listen Bill, I want you to be grand marshal.’ He was so happy.”
Some things Larry said of his father. He has always been active, loved people and most of all, loved his wife Sally.
The couple moved east from Chicago around 1949 to Drexel Hill, Pa.
Johnson worked as a salesman and Sally took care of the children. They weren’t rich, so they made sacrifices to make sure the children went through Catholic school and had what they needed, Larry recalled.
When Sally passed away at the age of 89 in 2010, Johnson was “lost.”
The couple had five children. The oldest, Tom Johnson, passed away in 2004. All four children stay in touch with him weekly.
Larry discovered a bereavement group offered at Holy Redeemer in Swainton.
At first Johnson, who still drives, was hesitant about going, Larry said.
“I told him to try it – just one meeting,” he explained. “If you don’t like it, you could leave.”
That was in 2011. Johnson has been going ever since.
It is something Johnson said he looks forward to.
“It’s for people who have lost their spouses. I’m the oldest one in the group,” Johnson said. “I like going. It keeps me busy.”
Keeping busy and loving life, seem to attract people to Johnson.
“I go out with my friends,” Johnson said. “If there is a party I’ll go to it.”
Then he said with a smile, “I passed my driving test. My license expires in 2020, so we’ll see what happens after that.”
Every day he gets in his car and heads out shopping.
“I go to the grocery store and get just a couple of things, so I have to go out again the next day,” Johnson said. “I like going out.”
Larry said when he is down for the weekend he goes with his dad.
“He goes out driving and everyone knows him. He talks to so many people,” Larry said. “You can’t walk passed a crowd without him talking to people.”
And he is in good health, aside from a slight hearing problem, Larry said.
“He has his vanity. He refuses to wear a hearing aid,” he said.
Larry’s wife Vanessa said of her father-in-law as she put her arm around him when he was still seated in the back of the pickup truck at the end of the parade.
“We just love him. He is fun,” Vanessa said. “He is so sweet. He is a flirt. He is the best.”
Larry said his father is a special person.
“He just lights everybody up,” Larry said. “That is just how he is made.”
