McGowan-Johnson About CLARE H. McGOWAN COMPANY K, 7TH UNITED STATES INFANTRY JUNE 8, 1895 - OCTOBER 11, 1918 Clare was born in Paw Paw, county of Van Buren in Michigan on June 8, 1895 the son of Thaddeus and Jessie McGowan. Clare received his early elementary education at the Gliddenburg Rural School in Paw Paw Township. He attended and graduated from Paw Paw High School [the old red brick] as part of the Class of 1914; and continued his education at Michigan State Normal School (Western State University, now know as Western Michigan University) in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he received a teaching certificate. He then taught at the following schools in Van Buren County; Bell Rural School in Waverly Township and the Westgate School in South Haven Township. Clare enlisted in the Michigan National Guard in 1917. However, when this unit was mustered into the Federal service, he was unable to pass the physical examination and was rejected. He then entered the University Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan where he had the physical condition corrected. After this Clare accepted a position to teach at the Moline School in Walbridge, Ohio. In May of 1918 Clare re-enlisted into the United States Army. Upon the completion of basic training Clare was transferred overseas to Company K, 7th United States Infantry Regiment. On October 11th, 1918 in the Meuse-Argonne Sector where he was killed in action. His body, one of the few to be return to the United States at the end of World War I, is interred in the Wildey Cemetery in Paw Paw Township. Clare was survived by his parents and his brother, Hugh McGowan. About ROBERT H. JOHNSON PRIVATE in the 22ND ARMY AIR FORCE MATERIAL SQUADRON February 12, 1918 - December 7, 1941 Robert was born in Chicago, Illinois on February 12, 1918 the son of Henry and Florence Johnson. He received his early elementary education from 1926 until 1932 at the Wildey Rural School in Paw Paw Township. He then attended and graduated from the Paw Paw High School, Class of 1936. After his graduation from high school until 1939 he was employed by the O'Grady Brothers Clothing Store. In 1939 he became the local manager for the Equitable Life Insurance Society of the United States, where he worked until his November 1940 enlistment. Following the completion of basic training at Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis, Missouri he was transferred overseas to Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii in December of 1940. There he was assigned to the 22nd Army Air Force Material Squadron. On December 7, 1941 Robert was killed in action by Japanese forces during the attack on Pearl Harbor and the surrounding bases. His body is interred in the Punch Bowl Military Cemetery, Honolulu, Hawaii. He was survived by his parents and three brothers; Frank, Carl and William. On September 18, 1950 the McGowan Post 68 of the American Legion Department of Michigan was rechartered, the 'McGowan-Johnson Post 68 of the American Legion Department of Michigan' in his memory.