The Vernon Daily Record
September 26, 1961

DENISON (AP) - Simple gravesite rites, in keeping with the obscurity that eclipsed his fame as a fighting buddy of Sgt. Alvin York, were held for Thomas G. Johnson, 66, today.
Without relatives and virtually unknown, Johnson died in a rest home here Saturday. He spent most of his later years in and out of veteran's hospitals.
Only once during the years that followed 1918 did Johnson find himself a protesting recipient of public attention.
That was in 1941 when the Denison Herald found him operating a shabby second-hand magazine stand on a community trade lot.
The clue came to the Herald in an Associated Press story from Hollywood, where the movie industry was preparing to film the Sgt. York story, destined to become one of the cinema's was epics.
The AP story telling of plans for the movie listed the 10 men who survived with Sgt. York the furious action of silencing an entire German machinegun battalion. The survivors included Johnson.
The disabled veteran would say little about the event.
"York did most of the work with a rifle, capturing an officer and forcing the rest to surrender," he said.
It wasn't that easy, however. York shot down 25 Germans in capturing 132.
Johnson received some payment from Warner Bros. in connection with the movie. He dropped back into his private world.
Johnson didn't make the headlines again until after his death - and then not until an initial story had dismissed his passing as a routine item in the obituary column.

The Denison Daily News
Tuesday, February 7, 1939
pg 7

Funeral services for J. G. Johnson, a former Denisonian who was found dead last Friday in his hotel room at Kansas City, arrived here by rail today, accompanied by a brother, Tom Johnson.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday from Short-Murray chapel, followed by interment at Fairview cemetery, Short-Murray directing.
Mr. Johnson was former manager of the local overall factory.

The Denison Daily News
Wednesday, February 8, 1939
pg 1

Funeral services for J. G. Johnson, a former war veteran of Denison who died last Friday at Kansas City, were held this afternoon at 2 o'clock from Short-Murray chapel with Rev. Harry Lee Virden officiating.
Interment was at Fairview cemetery with Short-Murray directing. A flag service was conducted at the grave. Pall bearers were Clare Blackburn, William H. Murphy, Thad Garrison of Sherman, Ralph Hodges, Walker Burch and Ray Brown.