His Howitzer entry implies that William Joseph “Joe” Johnson  was from Hays, KS. Not really. Like many of his classmates, Joe was an Army brat, and his family moved regularly. Joe was born in El Paso, TX, the first son and third child of seven born to Chief Warrant Officer 4 Robert Johnson and his wife, Florence. He started high school in Mannheim, Germany but graduated in Maryland while his father was stationed at Edgewood Arsenal. In school, Joe was not only a recognized leader and a stellar student but also excelled in sports, especially football and basketball. Pursuing a congressional nomination to the U.S. Military Academy was not an easy task for a young man from a nomadic service family. Joe persevered and was admitted as a qualified alternate, joining the West Point Class of 1969. His parents settled in Ellis, KS after Joe was already wearing cadet gray.
After Beast Barracks, Joe was assigned to Company F-4. It was a fairly laid back company, which fit his easy going personality to a tee. Living in North Area and the Lost Fifties was perfect for him, in great part because it was so close to the gymnasium. “Big Red Joe,” as his companymates called him, was one of those naturally smart fellows who never had a problem with academics. Joe loved all sports it seemed, and a pickup basketball game in the sixth-floor gym was his preferred method of relaxing. West Point gave him the opportunity to try out a variety of carryover sports. It was not unusual to find him bowling or on the handball, tennis, or squash courts. Companymates remembered him as great guy to have as a roommate: he was kind-hearted, good-natured and always willing to tutor or help a cadet in need.
Joe branched into the Corps of Engineers and served consecutive overseas tours, first in the 23rd Engineer Battalion in Germany and then with the 802nd Engineer Battalion in Korea, before resigning in 1974. He then went back to school, this time to Kansas State University. He earned both a Master of Science and a doctoral degree in nuclear engineering and was soon off to apply his knowledge and skills in the nuclear energy industry.
For the next 35 years Joe worked for Sargent & Lundy, an architectural-engineering firm in Chicago focused on the electrical generation sector. His specialty was in the area of radiation protection in the design of nuclear power plants. He was a Certified Professional Engineer in the State of Illinois and was an active and contributing member of both the American Nuclear Society and the Health Physics Society. Joe was always inquisitive, with a nearly unquenchable thirst for learning. He earned his Master of Business Administration degree from DePaul University in 1988 while working full time. He retired as a senior consultant in April 2014.
Early in his time in Chicago he met his future wife, Naomi Reagin, whose company had moved her there from Cory, IN. They married in her hometown in 1981 and eventually settled in their permanent home in Buffalo Grove, IL. Naomi worked in the distribution industry as a customer service specialist, but that didn’t stop them from starting a family. Joe and Naomi brought two beautiful daughters, Carolyn and Jennifer, into the world and their home. The girls grew up in a caring environment with a kind and hardworking dad who was ever the available tutor or sports partner. Eventually, Carolyn married Eric Vesely. They have two children, Madelyn and Owen.  Grandfather Joe worked hard to spoil them.
When Joe retired, he and Naomi were ready to enjoy life and get in some long-deferred leisure travel. He discovered the National Parks passport and in true engineer fashion wanted to get a stamp for every possible site. Naomi related that he was even tempted to go back to parks previously visited to complete his passport. His body had long since told him that pickup basketball games with the young guys at the gym was not a carryover sport for a gentleman in his graying years. He turned his athletic energies toward improving his golf game and chasing grandkids. In addition to golf, his family focus, and traveling with Naomi, he stayed busy in retirement re-engaging in his favorite pastimes of reading and photography.
Joe never got to complete his National Parks passport to his satisfaction and was unable to fulfill his dream of showing off West Point to Naomi. He succumbed to a nagging heart condition on August 30, 2017, just weeks before what would have been their 36th wedding anniversary.
To his family he was at once a quiet and mild-tempered, but firm and good-humored husband, father, brother and uncle. He instilled the importance of learning, travel and balance in their lives. He believed strongly in being kind to others, laying out a plan and having goals. He also truly lived by the motto of “work hard but play hard” and “you only live once.”
To his classmates, the passing of “Big Red Joe” invokes fond memories of a talented yet unpretentious gentleman who was as comfortable in advanced engineering classes as he was shooting hoops or helping a friend. Joe Johnson actively lived the high ideals that he learned while growing up and that were reinforced at West Point.
Joe: Duty was well performed, and your Honor was “e’er untarned.” Be Thou at Peace, you good and faithful servant!