William Preston Johnson Jr.

Colonel (Retired United States Army) William (Bill) Preston Johnson, Jr., age 85 of Fairview, Texas passed away on Monday, November 16, 2020 in McKinney, Texas.

Colonel Johnson is survived by wife who was his high sweetheart Virginia Lee (Miller) Johnson and their two children Kimila Marie (Johnson) Kercheville and William Preston Johnson, III. His sisters Joyce Ann (Johnson) Kirsch and Judith Ann Johnson. Sister-in-law Betty Ellen (Miller) Krietzer and several nieces and nephews.

Born August 31, 1935 in Dayton, Ohio to Henrietta Catherine (Kessler) Johnson and William Preston Johnson, Sr., Bill was the oldest of the family of six children. He is preceded in death by his parents, and siblings, Robert (Bobby) Johnson, Marvin Johnson, and Jacquelyn Ann (Johnson) Sweeney, sister-in-law Janice May (Miller) Webster and brother-in-law Roger Krietzer.

Bill’s U.S. Army military career expanded over 30 years in which he distinguished himself by serving two tours in Vietnam as a Green Beret with the 1 ^st Special Forces Group and MACV, working with the Montagnards and acting as an advisor to the National Police in Vietnam which led to him receiving 3 Bronze Stars. He earned additional Unit Citations and Personal awards for serving and teaming with the brave and talented Men and Women of the United States Army.

He also distinguished himself as a member of the United State Army Office Chief of Staff. Recipient of the Legion of Merit for his outstanding contributions in protecting and defending the United States. His military career expanded over several continents, numerous States, highlighted by a few of his favorite assignment locations including Okinawa, Munich and Heidelberg, Germany, Ft. Sam Houston, Texas, and Ft. Lewis, Washington.

Among his commands, he commanded a Counterintelligence and Signal Security Battalion in San Antonio, Texas part of the 902 Military Intelligence (MI) Brigade. In addition, he was the MI Brigade Commander for the 201 ^st MI Brigade in Fort Lewis, Washington. His last assignment was in the Pentagon, as Director of Intelligence Operations and Policy within the Army Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence where he retired in 1992. Colonel Johnson’s military accomplishments include actives associated with US Military and US Global Intelligence communities. A graduate from the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, Presidio of Monterey, California, leading to his assignments in Germany. Recipient of a Bachelors of Economics and Political Science degree and Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Dayton. A graduate of the United States Army Command and Staff College, Leavenworth, Kansas. A graduate of the National War College in Washington, D.C., graduate of the Executive Development Program from Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government in National and International Security and a Graduate Diploma from the National Security Agency.

Col. Johnson was the Director of International Development for GTE Government Services after his retirement from the United States Army for five years.

Favorite pastime hobbies included playing golf, traveling, and watching sports live and on TV. Favorite Team, The US Army Team. As the patriarch of the Johnson family, he will be greatly missed.

Funeral Services for Colonel Johnson will be Wednesday, December 2, 2020 with a Catholic Mass at St. Jude Catholic Church, Allen Texas, 10:30 am, followed by gravesite military ceremony at 1:30 pm at the Dallas, Fort Worth National Cemetery, Dallas, Texas. COVID-19 protocol will be adhere per Government request.

In lieu flowers, the family request a donation to the Fairview Police and Fire Rescue Teams in the name of Col. William P. Johnson, Jr, would be appreciated.

Fairview Police Department

372 Pound Place

Fairview, Texas 75069