Johnson and his twin brother, Adron William Johnson, were born September 28, 1922, at Paxton, Illinois. Their parents were Charles Lewis and Lillian Atcheson Johnson. Charles Johnson was a carpenter who sometimes moved around to find work. The family lived in Hoopeston, Illinois and Hammond, Indiana for a time before returning to Paxton. Tom Johnson joined the United States Army Air Corps on May 17, 1941, at age seventeen. He was assigned to the 106th Observation Squadron, an Alabama Air National Guard Unit which had been called into federal service in November 1940. Tom had developed an intense interest in airplanes and flying while still a child, and had also learned photography at an early age. His skills in these areas led to assignment to the photographic section, where he did work in aerial photography, film developing, and mapmaking. Tom was discharged from the army on October 6, 1945. He and Bettye married on October 15, 1945. Tom worked for several employers in Little Rock, including a stint as cameraman for KARK Channel Four and eleven years with KTHV Channel Eleven. He also worked for the Arkansas State Hospital as audio-visual training director. Tom Johnson retired in 1985, at age sixty-two. Since that time he has stayed busy with his aviation and photography interests, volunteering his expertise in service to his community, and also writing about his experiences.
From the description of Ardon Thomas (Tom) Johnson World War II collection, 2007-2009. (Central Arkansas Library System). WorldCat record id: 427577125
