Kevin Johnson Is December Veteran Of The Month

By Doug KapkeKevin E. Johnson is Jefferson County’s Veteran of the Month for December, 2024. In addition, he was presented with a patriotic art piece created by Rory Rosener.Johnson was born in Jefferson County June 13, 1962. His parents, two brothers and two sisters lived in Thompson, Nebraska. His dad worked construction. Kindergarten through fourth grade education was at West Ward and his fifth through eighth grade education was at the old junior high near what is now the Central School. He attended Fairbury High School from 1976 to 1980. His dad insisted that four years of football was mandatory. Johnson worked for his dad’s construction company on weekends and summers while in high school mostly building confinement hog structures.After high school, Johnson continued working for his dad’s construction company. He hunted and fished as much as possible and participated in “Beer Drinking 101” on Saturday nights.In October 1980, his life took a turn for the better when he married his wife Lori.Kevin made a job change to be back in Fairbury and worked C & F Roofing for about two years. In 1982, he moved his family to Alexandria, Louisiana to work with his dad on a multi-year Overton Lock and Dam Project.During the off construction season in January, 1984, Johnson voluntarily joined the U.S. Army. He moved his family back to Nebraska and attended eight weeks of Basic Training at Fort McClellan, and 12 weeks of Advanced Individual Training as a Light Wheel Mechanic at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. He and his family were assigned to Fort Bliss, Texas for about three years where he worked in a motor pool.In 1987 he was assigned to an eight week Heavy Wheel Vehicle Recovery Unit course in Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Upon course completion reassignment was to Fort Sill, Oklahoma. While Johnson and his wife were visiting their new post assignment in civilian clothes, Johnson happened to have on a cowboy hat. They met a postal employee who, in his off duty time, managed an equestrian facility. Through common relationships with horsemen in Nebraska, that postal employee made a phone call and Johnson was reassigned to an “Equestrian Ceremonial Unit.” Though not as well known as the soldiers who guard “The Tomb of the Unknown,” they were nonetheless an elite “spit and polish” group of soldiers who never numbered more than 10 in their Section.The down side of the new assignment was the old World War II scratchy wool, brown, every day duty uniform. The Section worked mostly insuring their equestrian saddles and all other equipment was always ready for a white glove inspection. They worked 11 to 12 hour days most weekends starting at 3:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m., until after ceremonies on horseback in cowboy attire carrying flags or whatever was necessary to suit the occasion. Ceremonies included funerals, parades, rodeos and change of command. Two most notable ceremonies included carrying the Olympic Torch on horseback into Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma in 1987 and riding in the President George H. W. Bush inaugural parade in Washington D.C. in January, 1989.SP4 Johnson re-entered civilian life in October, 1989, because he and Lori believed it best for the family. Medals and awards received during his service include: Army Service Medal, Army Achievement Medal (First Oak-leaf Cluster), M16 Rifle Expert and Hand Grenade Sharpshooter.After working for his job foreman father in Missouri for a couple of years on road construction projects, the family moved to Fairbury where Johnson worked for the fertilizer company south of Fairbury and Jack & Jill until 1997 when he went to work for the C & O Ford Motor Company until early 2021. This job afforded him the opportunity to be on the Fair Board for about 10 years. In early 2021, Kevin worked for the Ford Motor Company in Beatrice before taking over as the Fairbury Store Manager for Arnold Motor Supply. This job consumes most of six days a week. In his spare time he enjoys spending time with his wife Lori of 44 years, three children and spouses and 11 grandchildren.

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