The Monument
I never dreamed it would be me,
my name for all eternity,
recorded here at this hallowed place,
alas, my name, no more my face.
“In the line of duty”
I hear them say;
my family now the price will pay,
my folded flag stained with tears;
we only had those few short years.
The badge no longer on my chest,
I sleep now in eternal rest;
My sword I pass to those behind,
And pray they keep this thought in mind;
I never dreamed it would be me,
And with heavy heart and bended knee;
I ask for all here from the past,
Dear God, let my name be last.
-George Hahn, Los Angeles Police Department, Retired
On June 1, 1928 lifelong Point Pleasant resident Arnold Johnson was appointed as Marshal of the Borough. As the Marshal, Arnold served as Chief of Police, Detective, Traffic Safety Officer and even Crossing Guard. Retired Point Pleasant Police Captain Everett H. Clayton recalls Marshal Johnson crossing children in front of the Ocean Road School when he was a student. In the short time Marshal Johnson crossed the students, a relationship was forged that Captain Clayton always remembered.
At 3:30 pm, Sunday, July 22, 1928 Marshal Johnson was killed “in the line of duty” after serving only 52 days as a police officer. Arnold was 23 years old at the time of his death and was engaged to be married on August 4, 1928.
It has been almost a century since Arnold Johnson made the ultimate sacrifice and the men and women that have followed in his footsteps have never forgotten. We have established a memorial in front of the Point Pleasant Municipal Hall where citizens can visit, relax and pray that Arnold’s name will be the last.