Means Johnston Jr.
Admiral, U.S. Navy

Means Johnston Jr. was born on 5 December 1916 in Greenwood, MS.

He was a 1939 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and was commissioned as an Ensign in the Navy upon graduation.

He commanded a destroyer in World War II, held several sea commands after the war and commanded the naval base at Newport, RI. After receiving a degree from the Georgetown Law Center in 1951, he served in several administrative posts for the Navy Department, including Chief of Legislative Affairs from 1969-71. He was Inspector General from 1971 to 1973.

On 25 November 1973, Johnston was promoted to the four-star rank of Admiral and assigned as Commander-in-Chief, Allied Forces Southern Europe (CINCSOUTH) from 1973-1975.

Admiral Johnston retired in 1975 after 40 years of service in the Navy. 

Death and Burial

Admiral Means Johnston Jr. died on 14 July 1989 of prostate cancer at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, DC. He was 71 years old and lived in McLean, VA. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA, in Section 3, Grave 4004-D.

Johnston is survived by his wife, Hope Manning Larkin Johnston; a daughter, Lark Brown of Schlater, MS; a son, Means III of Gaithersburg, MD; a sister, Annie Emmons of Tullahoma, TN; two brothers, Frank, of Hammond, LA, and William, of Greenwood, MS; and four grandchildren.

Accolades

Admiral Thomas H. Moorer, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called Admiral Johnston's death "an extreme loss not only for his family and friends, but for the whole country." "He was a professional naval officer in every sense of the word," Admiral Moorer said, adding that "his standards included everything that has made this nation great." Admiral Moorer, a long-time friend of Admiral Johnston's, also described him as "a true Southern gentleman."