MILLBROOK — Local and county officials, a military honor guard, friends and family gathered at Nine Partners Cemetery near the grave of Korean War Veteran Army PFC Charles Johnson on Thursday, May 29. The well-attended ceremony was to honor Johnson’s bravery and sacrifice in battle and to dedicate a permanent plaque and flag markers indicating that Johnson’s valor had earned the Medal of Honor.
In December 2024, Johnson was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, officially presented at a White House ceremony on Friday, January 3, 2025, by President Joseph R. Biden.
Introductory remarks at the May 29 ceremony by Adam Roche, Director of the Dutchess County Office of Veterans Affairs honored Johnson, describing him as a “true American hero,” killed in battle at the age of 21, at Outpost Harry in Korea. Johnson’s heroic actions saved the lives of ten of his fellow infantrymen, including his captain.
An opening prayer by Deacon Duane Ware of Beulah Baptist Church spoke of Johnson’s legacy of patriotism, loyalty and brotherhood.
Participating in an official ceremony to honor the valorous service of Army PFC Charles R. Johnson during the Korean War and to dedicate a gravesite marker at Nine Partners Cemetery attesting that PFC Johnson was a recipient of the Medal of Honor were left to right County Executive Sue Serino, PFC Johnson’s nephew Kevin Johnson holding an official Proclamation presented during the ceremony, and Adam Roche, Director of the Office of Dutchess County’s Office of Veterans Affairs.Photo by Leila Hawken
The Rev. Dr. Matthew Calkins of Grace Episcopal Church, Millbrook, noted that the Johnson family had been members of the Millbrook church in the 1950s and that the church had attended to burial of Johnson’s remains in September 1953 at Nine Partners.
Drawings of three new stained glass window panels to be created and installed at Grace Church in the coming months were displayed and described by Rev. Calkins. One panel will honor Johnson’s memory, a second will honor Eleanor Roosevelt, and the third, in the middle, will depict Julian of Norwich, whose influential writings in the Middle Ages are the oldest discoveries of such writings to have been authored by a woman.
Vice Commander Dave Rogers of VFW Post 9008, Millbrook, announced that the VFW post is being renamed to honor Johnson. It will now be known as Charles R. Johnson Post 9008. In addition to the Medal of Honor, Johnson had been awarded the Purple Heart, the nation’s oldest medal, originally established by George Washington. Accordingly, Johnson’s grave will be adorned by a Purple Heart flag.
To mark Johnson’s gravesite, a flagpole has been erected at the cemetery by the Dutchess County Dept. of Public Works.
“We will always honor this grave,” said Brad Roeller, President of the Nine Partners Cemetery Association. He spoke of Johnson’s connections to Millbrook as “a rich story that will never be forgotten.”
“We thank you for recognizing Uncle Buddy,” said Johnson’s nephew, Kevin Johnson, on behalf of the Johnson family.
“For too long, Charles’ actions went unrecognized,” said Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino, citing Johnson’s courage and sacrifice that left a legacy. “His spirit and courage live on to inspire,” she added, praising the tireless efforts of many who pursued posthumous recognition for PFC Johnson’s bravery, to upgrade the Silver Star that had been awarded in 2011 to the Medal of Honor, a long campaign spanning decades.
In 2024, Congressman Pat Ryan joined in the effort by supporting the 20 years of regional efforts toward recognition.
A proclamation marking the long-awaited recognition was presented by Serino to Kevin Johnson.
“Charlie was older than I, but he was a friend of my brother’s,” said speaker Dominick Molella. “He was open and upbeat,” he added.
“He died for the soldiers he protected; his contributions and valor were ignored.” Molella said that his own involvement in the effort toward proper recognition began in early 2000, and he credited the Arlington High School for propelling the recognition campaign forward.
Dick Hermans in the Oblong Bookstore on Millerton's Main Street in 1985.
A highlight of the event will be New Yorker cartoonists Liza Donnelly and Michael Maslin, who will create simple, impromptu drawings inside the main store.
Hermans is the daughter of Oblong co-founder Dick Hermans, who opened the store in 1975 with a vision of creating a welcoming space for lovers of good books and music. With a $10,000 loan, he and founding partner Holly Nelson opened their first 400-square-foot shop on Main Street — now home to Demitasse.
As the business grew, Oblong expanded into Harold’s Apparel – now Cottage+Camp – in 1981, and eventually purchased its current building, then an antiques store. The staff walked the books across the street by hand during the move. Oblong Jr., located next door in what was once a shoemaker’s storefront, came later, as did a second location in Rhinebeck.
Dick Hermans, left, and Suzanna Hermans pose for a picture together in the Oblong Bookstore on Millerton's Main Street.Photo provided
Today, Suzanna Hermans is a second-generation owner of Oblong Books. Her parents met at the bookstore, and she has fond memories of going to preschool in the mornings and spending afternoons roaming the shelves with her father, always with a book in hand. As soon as she could see over the counter, Hermans would assist customers, recalling how exciting it was to finally be old enough to take credit card payments. “My dad was smart enough not to push me into it and let me come back to it naturally,” she said of taking over the family business after college.
A lot can happen to a local business over the course of half a century. Navigating shifts in technology, consumer behavior and the broader economy, it’s no small feat that Oblong has not only endured but become an iconic fixture of the community. “Bookstores have had ups and downs over the years, and we’ve been there to see most of them,” Hermans said.
In the 1990s, the rise of big-box chains like Barnes & Noble and Borders contributed to a steep decline in independent bookstores across the country. According to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the number of physical bookstores in the U.S. dropped from 13,136 in 1992 to just 6,448 by 2016.
The emergence of eBooks and Amazon further disrupted the industry. “They devalued books and taught consumers that books mean nothing,” Hermans said, adding, “Amazon will continue to be a challenge for us on a national scale.” Oblong has compensated for that by offering online purchasing and a digital storefront.
More recently, bookstores are facing the threat of censorship and efforts to limit access to books. “Today, things are crazy, and there are a lot of communities that are working very hard to ban books — including queer stories — from stores and libraries,” Hermans said. “We’re seeing a lot of freedom of speech and freedom to read issues as our next challenge, but I hope we’re shielded from that here in Millerton.”
Through it all, Hermans said it has been the support of the local community that helps Oblong weather these industry-wide changes.
“One thing that spans the whole length of it is our incredible staff that has worked for us over these last 50 years,” Hermans said. Since its founding, Oblong has employed more than 200 people — many of whom have stayed for five to 40 years. “Folks tend to stay a long time, which is an incredible testament to their admiration for bookselling,” she said. “But we also work really hard to be a great place to work.”
Even a casual walk through the store reveals the passion of its booksellers. Handwritten staff recommendations known as “shelf talkers” and colorful hand-drawn displays embody the charm and personality of an independent bookstore while a diverse, up-to-the-minute selection reflects the store’s commitment to a high-quality bookstore experience.
“Our staff picks are truly special,” Hermans said. With 24 booksellers across the two locations, each with their own distinct tastes, the result is a diverse and unique collection of recommendations. Hermans said the store’s “shelf talkers” are among Oblong’s most popular features. Some recommendations sell 20, 50 or even 100 copies — books that are often overlooked elsewhere.
Over the decades, Oblong has also become a destination for top-tier literary events featuring celebrity authors, local favorites and emerging voices. “We love our authors,” Hermans said. “We’ve built up a reputation that you can send your best-touring authors here to the Hudson Valley and they’re going to sell their books at our events.”
She adds that there is an “incredible depth” of literary talent in the region. Oblong now participates in approximately 150 events per year, an impressive number for an independent bookstore.
Though much has changed, the heart of Oblong Books remains the same: books, music and community. Originally called Oblong Books and Records, a section for vinyl and CDs can still be found in each location — a nod to the store’s musical roots.
“A lot of our shoppers are hardcore music lovers and people who like the novelty of buying a record or an LP,” Hermans said, noting that while music doesn’t drive profits, it remains part of the store’s identity. Her mother is a musician, and her father, “in all of his spare time,” she jokes, is a DJ for a folk radio show on WKZE.
Fifty years in, Oblong remains a cultural cornerstone of the Hudson Valley — not just a store, but a gathering place, a literary sanctuary and a celebration of the written word.
Dick Hermans is a member of the board of LJMN Media, publisher of The Millerton News.
