BENTON HARBOR, Mich.,
June 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- U-Haul®
was born as World War II was coming to a close, with its first
one-way trailers made available to the moving public on or about
July 4, 1945.
Just as U-Haul is celebrating 75 years of service this year,
America will soon celebrate the 75th anniversary of V-J Day. This
signifies Victory over Japan and
is observed Sept. 2 when the signing
of surrender occurred, effectively ending WWII.
Veterans such as Benton
Harbor native Aubrey K.
Johnson returned home to start a new life after the war, and
in doing so planted the seeds of prosperity for U-Haul, a product
of the peace for which they fought.
WWII-era Navy veteran L.S. "Sam" Shoen and his wife,
Anna Mary Carty Shoen, conceived
U-Haul in June 1945 when they
recognized a basic need while moving up the West Coast, having left
behind most of their belongings since one-way trailer rentals did
not yet exist. From that idea, an industry was created and a new
level of mobility became attainable for every American family.
New Display at Pearl
Harbor
Today, U-Haul is committed to honoring
veterans and supporting veteran causes. This is accomplished
through recruiting veterans and giving them hiring preference;
direct assistance to veteran groups; participation and sponsorship
of Memorial Day and Veterans Day parades; and supporting
Pearl Harbor tributes.
The Company's 75th anniversary tributes will peak triumphantly
with the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum's dedication of the renovated
Ford Island Control Tower on Aug. 29.
U-Haul Pacific Theater veterans' bios and photos will be displayed
in the tower lobby. Johnson will be among those memorialized on the
lobby wall.
The tower will showcase a new elevator, gifted by U-Haul CEO
Joe Shoen, providing public access
to the observation deck where America's lone WWII aviation
battlefield can be revered and our heroes remembered.
Willing to Serve
Johnson was born in Benton Harbor in 1922. After he graduated from
Benton Harbor High School, he
enrolled at Michigan State University.
Just two months after Japan
attacked Pearl Harbor, Aubrey
postponed his studies and enlisted in the Army.
Johnson served in the South Pacific with the First Calvary
Division and saw action in New
Guinea, the Admiralty Islands Campaign in 1944, and served
in General Douglas MacArthur's
campaign to liberate the
Philippines from Japanese control.
Following the surrender of Japan, the division was assigned to occupation
duty in Japan. Johnson drove the
first American tank into Tokyo on
Sept. 8. He was also featured in a
three-way radio broadcast on Oct. 9
between Tokyo, Berlin and Hollywood. TSgt. Johnson, speaking from Tokyo
Rose's old studio, and Pvt. Sidney
Aronson in Berlin were
interviewed about their wartime experiences on "Everything for the
Boys" hosted by Dick Hymnes. Johnson was honorably discharged in
December 1945.
Following the war, Johnson resumed his studies at MSU,
graduating with honors with a degree in agricultural economics. In
October 1948, he began a 30-year
career in the Federal Land Bank System and the Farm Credit System.
He rose through the ranks from regional manager to executive vice
president of the Federal Land Bank System; to deputy governor for
the Farm Credit Administration in Washington, D.C.; to CEO of the
Federal Farm Credit Banks Funding Corporation
in New York City.
Guiding Light to U-Haul
In 1978, Johnson retired and
moved to Sun City West, Ariz. In
1985, he answered an ad for an AMERCO® Board of Directors position.
The parent company of U-Haul wisely appointed him to the position.
Johnson's invaluable business and financial experience helped
U-Haul through a leadership transition and the restructuring of its
business operations. Johnson retired from the AMERCO Board in
1998.
"Aubrey was a terrific friend of U-Haul and a person who was
both modest and courageous," Joe
Shoen stated. "As a WWII veteran and banking executive,
Aubrey had a wealth of leadership experience and knowledge. He
served on the board of directors during difficult times, and he
never faltered. He approached every challenge as an opportunity to
help people."
Johnson passed away on Feb. 8,
2018. He is survived by his sons Brian (Donna) and Terry
(Dianne), four grandchildren and one great grandchild.
Veteran Ties and Appreciation
The Shoens started
U-Haul upon Sam's discharge with $4,000 of accumulated Navy pay
and the courage formed by the cauldron of WWII. With the
help of other veterans, the young couple forged their new
enterprise from the freedom that victory produced.
Today, U-Haul serves all 50 states and 10 Canadian
provinces, helping millions of families move every
year. Johnson is one of the many veterans who laid the
foundation for the present prosperity U-Haul enjoys.
U-Haul is one of a myriad of companies built by these incredible
veterans, who are to be saluted and remembered during this 75th
anniversary celebration. Thank you, Aubrey.
Find more veteran tributes in the History and Culture
section of myuhaulstory.com.
About U-Haul
Since 1945, U-Haul has been the No. 1
choice of do-it-yourself movers, with a network of 22,000 locations
across all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. U-Haul Truck Share
24/7 offers secure access to U-Haul trucks every hour of every day
through the customer dispatch option on their smartphones and our
proprietary Live Verify technology. Our customers' patronage has
enabled the U-Haul fleet to grow to approximately 167,000 trucks,
120,000 trailers and 43,000 towing devices. U-Haul offers nearly
697,000 rooms and 60.7 million square feet of self-storage space at
owned and managed facilities throughout North America. U-Haul is the largest installer
of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket
industry, and is the largest retailer of propane in the U.S. For
information on moving safely and smartly with U-Haul during the
COVID-19 pandemic, please reference
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8601451-u-haul-moving-season-covid-19-safety/.
Contact:
Jeff Lockridge
Sebastien Reyes
E-mail: publicrelations@uhaul.com
Phone: 602-760-4941
Website: uhaul.com
View original content to download
multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wwii-veterans-remembered-u-haul-honors-michigans-aubrey-k-johnson-301081203.html
SOURCE U-Haul