When William David Johnson, Jr. was born on January 2, 1909, in Montgomery, Alabama, his father, William, was 21 and his mother, Ruth, was 21. He married Catherine Louise McManus on July 18, 1936, in his hometown. He enlisted in the Army on May 11, 1944. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II as a Private First Class in the 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division. He died on April 17, 1945 and is now buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Montgomery, Montgomery County, Alabama, USA.