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How Going To The Bathroom Saved The Life Of Future US President Lyndon B. Johnson
During WWII, the future politician‘s urgent need to relieve himself prevented him from dying with his comrades in battle
The life of 36th American President Lyndon B. Johnson was curiously marked by numerous instances of fate intervening in unusual ways. One extraordinary example occurred during World War II when Johnson, then a young serviceman, made the decision to take a much-needed bathroom break, which ultimately played a crucial role in saving his life from a plane crash.
Johnson, commonly referred to as LBJ, was born on August 27, 1908. He is best known for serving as the 36th President of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He assumed the Presidency following the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963.
Johnson’s Presidency was notable for advancing civil rights legislation. This included the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Despite a legacy marred by the Vietnam War, his contributions to civil rights and social reform played a significant role in reshaping American society.
Prior to embarking on his political career, Johnson served in the United States Navy during World War II. After joining up voluntarily, he was commissioned as a lieutenant commander. He was deployed to the South Pacific in 1942, where his primary role was supervising a team of young pilots.
In the summer of 1942, while stationed in the South Pacific, Johnson’s squadron were performing routine preparations for a bombing mission against the Japanese. He was scheduled to fly into battle as an observer on one of the planes. However, just before takeoff, he was desperate to use the bathroom, causing him to run to the nearest restroom as the mission was set to launch.
His sudden urgent call of nature became a very fortunate intervention that wound up saving his life, as his squadron left without him. While Johnson relieved himself inside the bathroom, the aircraft carrying his comrades, a B-26 dubbed the Wabash Cannonball, took off and encountered heavy enemy fire from the Japanese before being shot down over New Guinea, killing all of the crew inside.
