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Ed Johnson

Holiday Greeting

4 posts in this topic

:) To all Johnson Website Readers

Happy Holidays to everyone. I am recovering from a knee operation with the result that I am temporarily housebound and bored silly, but not for long.

2007 was not the best year for the Johnson family. My mother, Virginia, (Mel's widow) is now in a New Haven, CT nursing home at age 97 with alzheimers (sp?)dimentia, so she no longer truly recognizes any family members. At least she is comfortable and receiving good care. I go over to see her at least 2x per month.

Sadly, we lost my sister, Gail Johnson, age 61, to cancer back in September. She was active in Real Estate in the New Haven area and, like her mother Virginia, was a very active Tennis player. We will miss her very much. She was predeceased by her long-time companion, William Fitzgerald, a very kind, wonderful man who, as it happens, worked at Winchester in New Haven many years ago. Small world.

My older brother, Melvin III, age 71 (I think?) and named after Dad, is still primarily housebound but doing well following some heart problems from several years ago. He lives with his daughter near Philadelphia and stays in touch with me frequently by telephone. As some of you know, Mel III met with Bob Lamoreaux back in the 70's and they worked on Bob's original Johnson Book manuscript together. Two advance chapters from that manuscript, along with photos, were published in American Rifleman back then.

We live in a rapidly changing world. Being age 67, I'm not all that thrilled with some of the changes I've seen or what may lie ahead for many of us. Certainly, we need to have more faith in our country's leaders and be willing to stand behind most of their decisions...not always an easy task. And, whether we like it or not, we need to treat our environment...and ourselves...with more care...because it is all we will ever have.

And I'm also reminded, constantly, of the assurances (as some of you know) made by IBM back in the '50's...that computers would result in all of us having more leisure time in the future.

They lied. We've all been chasing our tails ever since.

But it is very nice that we have this Website and a seemingly tireless, energetic man named Jim Pullen to operate it. I can feel my Dad smiling.....

And as I think Walt Liss and others will remind us....let us all be thinking about and praying for our troops fighting overseas...and praying that their weapons and equipment work properly.

Thank you all for your continued interest in Dad's inventions, especially his rifles, and for the energy you contribute to this website,

Ed Johnson

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I would like to echo Ed's Holiday Greeting.

Wishing one an all a very Happy Holiday Season!

Keep our brothers and sisters who are in Harms Way in your thoughts a prayers throughout this season. While they are defending our Freedom, their hearts are at home with their loved ones.

As Ed pointed out, we do live in a world and time that is changing. Someone sent me the link to a cartoon that probably states it the best. With the wonders of computers, we can link to it and all view it.

PolitcallyCorrectCartoon??

ArtR

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I, too, echo Ed's holiday greetings. While it seems like yesterday that I began the research for what became the Canfield, Johnson, Lamoreaux book, it was over 30 years ago! At that time, more fiction about Johnson and his guns was available than fact. The first person, other than Ed or Mel, to engage in any research into the Johnson saga was a former British cop named Jim Pullen. He not only "out-researched" me, but he created this wonderful web site and has contributed more to making the history of Johnson firearms available to the general public than anyone else. Bruce Canfield, of course, was instrumental in making my 400+ manuscript not only readable, but publishable. Walt and Joe have certainly contributed more than their modesty allows. Let us all hope that the contributions, questions, etc. from all of you keep the Johnson legacy alive.

Wishing all of you, and those you hold near and dear, a very happy holiday and a most prosperous New Year!

To those of you with some degree of curiosity, I am in the process of editing my manuscript on the Miranda brothers (American Armament Co.) and the private arms dealers of the '30s. The hard part will be finding a publisher! Maybe 2008 will see the publication of another book on a relatively obscure firm in our country's munitions history.

Bob

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Blessings on all of you who strive to ride hard, shoot straight, and tell the truth. My personal holiday tome is on the net at http://www.susanpeden.com/christmas-2007

Special blessings for Jim Pullen, who makes this forum the Band of Brothers it has become.

Jim Peden

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