From a contemporary press report:
Wrennie W. Johnson, 79, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who later managed the Bowie real estate office of Prince George’s Properties, died of complications of diabetes February 24, 1999 at his home in Bowie, Maryland.
Colonel Johnson retired from the Air Force in 1969 after a 27-year military career. This included service with the 8th Air Force in England during World War II, command of an Air Force special investigations unit in San Francisco and intelligence work in Vietnam during the Southeast Asian war, for which he received a Bronze Star Medal.
He settled in the Washington area in 1962, and he was active in real estate in Bowie until the mid 1980s.
Colonel Johnson was born in Girard, Alabama, and grew up in Savannah, Georgia. He worked for the Savannah Post Office before World War II.
After the war he returned to Savannah, but he was recalled for military service during the Korean War and became a career Air Force officer.
He was a member of the Maryland Board of Realtors, Bowie Chamber of Commerce and Bowie Kiwanis. He was known as a clever and humorous speaker and he was often asked to serve as master of ceremonies at special events.
His wife of 50 years, Mary A. Johnson, died in 1996.
Survivors include three daughters, Regina Clemons and Renee Worthington, both of Palm Coast, Fla., and Emily Holland of Carmel, Ind.; a brother; five grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
JOHNSON, WRENNIE W., Lt Col, USAF (Ret.)
On Wednesday, February 24, 1999, WRENNIE W. JOHNSON, of Bowie, MD and Palm Coast, FL, beloved husband of the late Mary A. Johnson; loving father of Regina Clemons and Renee Worthington, both of Palm Coast, FL and Emily Holland of Carmel, IN; brother of Lewis Haire of LaCanada, CA. Also survived by five grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Relatives and friends may call at the Robert E. Evans Funeral Home, Inc., Rt. 450 and Race Track Road, Bowie, MD, Wednesday, 7 to 9 p.m. and Thursday, 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial at St. Pius X Church, 14720 Annapolis Rd., Bowie, MD on Friday, March 5 at 1 p.m. Interment Arlington National Cemetery at 3 p.m. Reception to be held from 4 to 7 p.m. at Spates Hall, 214 McNair Road, Fort Myer, VA. Complimentary round trip bus transportation to be provided between the church in Bowie to burial site and reception. Sympathy may be expressed in the form of memorials to the American Diabetes Association, 1211 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 501, Washington, DC 20036.
Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.
Reviewed by: Michael Howard