About PFC Elizabeth Bernice Barker Johnson

Mrs. Elizabeth Bernice Barker Johnson’s remarkable journey began on May 2, 1920, in Elkin, North Carolina, where she was born to Jesse and Marzella Barker and was one of fourteen children. Growing up in the heart of North Carolina, she learned the values of resilience, faith, and determination from her family.

She attended Oak Grove Elementary School through the eighth grade. However, due to segregation in the area, there were no high schools available for Black children. Determined to provide their daughters with an education, her parents made the difficult decision to send Elizabeth and her sister to live with family friends in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, so they could continue their schooling.

She graduated from Atkins High School in Winston-Salem in 1942, but her journey was far from over. Facing the financial challenges of attending college, Barker found herself at a crossroads. Refusing to let circumstances dictate her future, she was inspired by a simple yet powerful “Uncle Sam Wants You!” flyer that arrived in her mailbox. Driven by a sense of purpose and opportunity, she answered the call to serve her country, embarking on a path that would shape the rest of her life.

On March 11, 1943, she enlisted in the Women’s Army Corps as Private (PVT) Barker, commencing a journey marked by courage and dedication. Basic training at Fort Devens, Massachusetts, honed her skills and prepared her for the challenges ahead. Assigned to Camp Campbell, Kentucky, Barker served as a truck driver, transporting soldiers to train stations bound for distant theaters of war.

Her path took a transatlantic turn as she joined 855 African American women selected for overseas duty. Stationed first at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, for overseas training, Barker embarked aboard the Ile de France bound for England. Amid the dangers of wartime travel, the threat of German U-boats forced a tense detour across the Atlantic.

Arriving in England, PFC Barker was assigned to Birmingham with the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the only all-Black Women’s Army Corps unit to serve overseas during World War II. From driving and maintaining transport vehicles to helping clear millions of pieces of backlogged mail in Rouen, France, her contributions were vital to maintaining morale among American troops and their families.

Following the end of the war in Europe, Barker returned to the United States aboard the historic Queen Mary and was honorably discharged on November 12, 1945. Determined to continue serving others, she used her GI Bill benefits to attend Winston-Salem Teachers College, now Winston-Salem State University.

After graduating in 1949, she began her teaching career at Red Hollow School in Spencer, Virginia, where she served as the school’s only teacher. She later moved to Stuart, Virginia, where she taught at Patrick Central School. During her years in Virginia, she married James Johnson and started her family. In 1959, she returned to North Carolina and continued her career in education. In 1967, she became the first Black teacher hired by the Elkin City School System, where she taught and inspired students for nearly three decades before retiring in 1985.

In 1986, Johnson found a new purpose in Hickory, North Carolina, where she devoted her time to her two granddaughters, Shandra and Tiffany, and volunteered in the Catawba County School System for nearly two decades. She embraced the joys of Sunday school, church activities, reading, and crossword puzzles while continuing to serve her community.

Her legacy lives on in the hearts of her descendants, including another granddaughter, Kia Matthews; four beloved great-grandchildren, Donivan Matthews, Christopher West, Landon Bryant, and Elizabeth Bryant; and one great-great-grandchild, Silas Matthews.

On August 23, 2020, Mrs. Elizabeth Bernice Barker Johnson departed this world at the age of 100 years, 3 months, and 21 days. She left behind a lasting legacy of courage, perseverance, service, and unwavering devotion to her family, her students, her community, and her country.