John Holmes Townley was born on August 23, 1920, in Emporia, Lyon County, Kansas. He was the son of John Townley and enrietta Lannie Holmes Townley.

Townley graduated from Point Pleasant High School. He served in the 231st Field Artillery Battalion, 6th Armored Division, as a First Lieutenant and a pilot of an L-4 Liaison plane "Piper Cub" during World War II. In the small plane, there was also Lieutenant George Haas Jr. who was the observer. They were shot down during the US Navy ambush. John H. Townley was badly hit and Lt Haas was wounded also. The last time the body of Lieutenant Townley was seen, was when Lieutenant Haas before being sent to the Channel Islands as a POW saw his body under a blanket, he was told by the German doctor that was the body of Lieutenant Townley. After that, his body was never identified and is still missing. Townley has been reported missing in action since August 3, 1944. He was awarded the Silver Star and the Purple Heart. He was memorialized in the Tablets of the Missing at Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, Colleville-sur-Mer, Departement du Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France.

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