Charles M. Johnson Collection

DONOR:

Charles M. Johnson; 1999-2011

SIZE:

50 cu ft

SCOPE & CONTENT:

Magazines: Missile Away issues 1953-54, Early Bird; artifacts: wooden rocket bank, York Rite Masonic uniforms, sword, maps; photos of propeller airplane and Trinitite; folder of car ads; slides: Trinity Bomb Site; 1882 Holy Bible with family inscriptions; papers and items re: White Sands and Ham radio, Wally Byam Caravan Club-Airstream; manuscript "My Ham Shack Was Born;" tapes; Mack Bolan novels.

BIOGRAPHY:

Charles Magnus (Chuck) Johnson was born January 7, 1917, in Wright County, Minnesota. An amateur Ham radio broadcaster, Charles became a transmitter operator and studied Electrical Engineering at the University of Minnesota. His background and interest in broadcasting also led him to work as a control engineer for Mutual Broadcasting Network.

During World War II, Charles served with the United States Army Air Corp as an aerial gunner and radio operator. He was also assigned to the South Pacific Theater of Operations as a specialist in Fighter Control and was later awarded the Bronze Star. He completed his degree in engineering and studied business administration after the war was over.

In the 1950s, Charles was recalled to active duty to serve in the Korean War, and worked with the radio broadcast systems. Afterwards, he became the Chief of Range Communications and Timing at the Holloman Air Force Base in Alamogordo, NM, and later joined a team of specialists at White Sands Missile Range, NM, to start the Missile Electronic Warfare Program. As the program expanded, Charles advanced to the position of Deputy Chief and later transferred to the Instrumentation Directorate.

Charles was a Registered Professional Engineer and served on many different committees for the Department of Defense and NASA. He retired from active engineering in 1973, but remained active in St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. He was also a part of the York Rite of Masonry in Las Cruces, became the Grand Commander of the Knights Templar of New Mexico, and served on the board of directors at this Institute of Historical Survey.

Charles M. Johnson passed on December 2, 2012, in Las Cruces NM.