NAUGATUCK — This past Memorial Day, Hillside Intermediate School Principal Johnna Hunt noticed Frank Johnson Jr. and his son, Matthew, staring at the flagpole in front of her school building.
“Mr. Johnson said, ‘We’re just looking up at dad’s flag,’” she said.
Hunt did not realize the flagpole had been dedicated to Frank Johnson’s father, the late Franklin Johnson Sr., on Nov. 10, 1997. Hunt started to take a closer look at the flagpole, which had become rusty. The bronze plaque on the pole, which honored Johnson, had become so caked with patina that the letters were barely visible.
Last week, Hillside custodians Scott Crosswait and Mike Yablonski stood on ladders provided by the Naugatuck Fire Department and gave the flagpole a new coat of white paint. On Monday, hundreds of students, faculty, staff, firefighters and local dignitaries stood in front of that glistening pole, which was rededicated in honor of Franklin Johnson Sr. A new plaque was also unveiled.
“We are extremely happy and proud knowing what this means for my father,” said Frank Johnson Jr., who attended the event with his sister, Lori Johnson.
Frank Johnson Jr. explained that his father grew up near Hillside School, went to high school at Hillside when it served as the borough’s high school and later taught history there from 1951 to 1959 before moving to the new high school on Rubber Avenue.
Franklin Johnson Sr. was active in supporting local veterans and served as a longtime chairman of the Naugatuck Veterans Council. He was an Army veteran who stormed a beach at Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944.
Johnson, who died in January 2010 at 85 years old, served as a guidance counselor, coach and leader of adult education in Naugatuck for many years. His tireless work with veterans landed him a prestigious place in the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame.
Mayor Robert Mezzo, who knew Johnson, said not only was Johnson a good veteran, but most importantly, he was a good man who gave his all to his family and his community.
Mezzo and Deputy Mayor Tamath Rossi spoke highly of Johnson during the ceremony, as did Frank Johnson Jr. The students took turns speaking of the significance of Veterans Day and Johnson’s contributions to Naugatuck and the nation. Their classmates formed a semicircle around them holding American flags and armed services flags dedicated by current Naugatuck Veterans Council Chairman John DeBisschop.
“Looking into the eyes of the children, I was thinking of how much our father loved children,” Lori Johnson said. “He lived to serve kids and believed in what they could accomplish.”
Hunt said it is important for students to know of Johnson so they can learn from his legacy.
“I think Mr. Johnson stands alone in what he exemplified for all citizens and educators,” she said.
