Tears welled up in Ken Johnston’s eyes as the painful memories caused his voice to catch in his throat.

The more than 50-year-old memories of serving with the U.S. Army in World War II and the Korean War still sting.

Johnston, 85, saw action in both Europe and the Pacific during World War II and was recalled to active duty when hostilities broke out in Korea in 1950.

The recipient of five Purple Hearts, two Silver Stars and a Bronze Star, Johnston was a part of some of the key battles of the 20th century.

Drafted in 1943 at the age of 18, Johnston was a member of the 97th Infantry Division and the 322nd Regimental Ranger Battalion during World War II.

His unit was sent to Europe from Boston, never debarking from the transport ship until the Normandy D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944.

“We were going to jump with the 101st Airborne behind the lines in France,” he said of the Ranger Battalion, “but because of foul weather, we didn’t hook up.”

Instead, Johnston and his fellow 97th Infantry Division soldiers went in during the second wave on Omaha Beach.

“There was very heavy combat,” he recalled of the invasion. “It was scary. As a platoon leader, I was supposed to lead by example.”

Johnston said half the men in the unit died during the invasion. He had a close call himself.

Charging the beach, Johnston was struck by a German bullet at the top of his forehead.

“The bullet hit between the liner and my steel helmet,” Johnston said. “The bullet circled around the helmet and eventually fell down the back of my shirt. I was burned by the bullet.”

Johnston said despite being awarded three Purple Hearts in World War II and two during the Korean War, he never lost any time in action due to injuries, as most of the wounds were from shrapnel.

From Omaha Beach, Johnston’s unit fought at Bastogne in Belgium. They were assigned to General George Patton’s Third Army.

“I saw him plenty of times,” Johnston said of the famed general. “Pearl-handled revolvers and all. He was a cocky little son-of-a-gun, but well-respected by his men.”

The 97th Infantry Division hooked up with Russian forces in Czechoslovakia as the fighting in Europe came to an end.

But Johnston’s service to his country wouldn’t end there.

“You always thought you did what you were supposed to,” he said. “The unit was still intact.”

After a 30-day leave in the U.S., Johnston reported to the West Coast for action in the Pacific against the Japanese.

“Two companies went to Okinawa, where we helped the 25th Infantry Division clean out bunkers,” he said. “There was very little resistance.”

Johnston said the men in his unit were, like many others, saying prayers when they learned their next mission would be the invasion of Japan.

He said when news broke of the Hiroshima bombing, the soldiers hoped the invasion would be unnecessary.

“We were supposed to land in Yokohama Bay and invade Tokyo,” Johnston explained. “We were still in the convoy when the second [atomic] bomb was dropped and the Japanese surrendered ... a lot of beautiful celebrations that took place.”

Johnston’s unit went on to Japan as part of the occupation force and was assigned to guard ammunition and weapons depots in the hills.

“The Japanese people reacted to us very well,” he recalled. “Like everyone else, they wanted to know why this happened.”

Johnston was discharged in March 1946 and went on inactive duty. He went back to Kokomo and married his wife of 62 years, Betty Lou, and started a family.

He said in 1950, the year the Korean War started, the family went to North Carolina to see his brother, who was in the Marines, and a brother-in-law, who was a pilot, and also in the Marines. Johnston said he talked to both men about what they should expect in combat.

“When we came home, I had the greetings letter,” Johnston said of his return to active duty in April 1950. “I was to report to Fort Benjamin Harrison. It was a big shock.”

At the age of 25, Johnston was returning to active duty.

From Indianapolis, Johnston was sent to Fort Hood, Texas. There, a colonel met the men and announced he wasn’t going “to pull any punches.” Johnston said the colonel told all of them they were going to Korea.

“They told us if we wanted to see our family members, they better get to Texas,” he said. “Betty traveled to Texas with a group of women from Indiana. We got to spend some time with them.”

Thirty days after returning to active duty, Johnson landed at Inchon and was sent to the border of Korea and China along the Yalu River.

“There was very little leadership,” he said. “The officers had not been trained for combat. We were called back because of our World War II experience.”

Johnston was then made a platoon leader and saw combat every day, except for a five-day leave to Japan.

“It was very hard to report [for Korean duty],” he said. “My daughter, Linda Lou, was 2 1/2 years old. It gave me something to come home to.”

Johnston said his unit patrolled the border every day in northern Korea.

“We went on patrol one morning and were about 2 miles from the main base when I saw a wall of soldiers approaching. I knew they weren’t ours.”

Johnston said he didn’t know if they were North Korean or Chinese, but later learned it was the Chinese army crossing the border.

“We were pinned down all day,” he said. “The only thing that saved us was we had tank support. If not for that, I probably wouldn’t be here today.”

Johnston said his unit stayed entrenched around the tanks until receiving orders the next morning to retreat.

The emotion of the memory causes Johnston to pause for a moment to regain his composure.

“I had 42 men in my unit; I returned with 24,” he said. “We didn’t know how many were captured or wounded.”

Johnston said the United Nations’ forces withdrew to the 38th parallel, where the Chinese advance was halted. They continued to patrol on a daily basis, fighting continuously for the same terrain.

“I had no idea if I would ever make it home,” he said.

After a year in Korea, Johnston returned to the U.S. and was discharged in 1953.

He’s pleased to see current members of the military getting the recognition and support they deserve.

Johnston said during World War II, the soldiers had a clear objective of ending the war. He said in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, the objective were not as obvious.

“The World War II and Korean veterans were forgotten soldiers,” Johnston said of the return to civilian life. “We kept to ourselves. People didn’t understand what we went through.”

He said following his two tours of duty, the only people who recognized their return were family members.

“The Vietnam veterans were forgotten and not treated very well,” Johnston said.

Returning to civilian life, he went to work with Haynes Stellite and became a company salesman, based in California. Returning to Kokomo in 1960, Johnston became a real estate developer.

Today, in his Kokomo home, there is a case displaying his military honors. He proudly wears a Disabled American Veteran pin on the collar of his shirt.

“My daughters wanted me to do this,” he said with a smile.

• Ken de la Bastide is the Kokomo Tribune enterprise editor. He can be reached at 765-454-8580 or via e-mail at ken.delabastide@kokomotribune.com