Television Star a Time Traveling Commando

Amy Jo Johnson at Normandy in 1944

Earl Hanes came ashore at Normandy, fought in the Battle of the Bulge and earned a Purple Heart but a photo album he keeps as a reminder of his service has revealed a very strange mystery.

"I want to remember what I did during the big war so I really cherish this album," Hanes told Channel 13 Action News. Hanes was showing his friend Calvin Bane some of his cherished war photos when Calvin spotted something odd. “I was browsing the war pictures when I spotted Amy Jo Johnson, the former Pink Power Ranger” explained Bane.


"I knew her as Lieutenant A.J. Callaghan a young Canadian commando"

“I thought Calvin just had too much to drink again,” said Hanes. The combat veteran at first dismissed his friend’s claim but was shocked when Calvin showed him a photo of the actress from the Internet. “Calvin started to Googling stuff and he brought up a photo of this actress,” explained Hanes. “I couldn’t believe it, the page said she was Amy Jo Johnson but I knew her as Lieutenant A.J. Callaghan a young Canadian commando assigned to our detail back in WWII.”

Red Meade

The mystery deepened as Earl and Calvin continued their investigation. “Amy Jo was in about a half dozen of Earl’s war pictures and it just didn’t make any sense to me. How could an actress born in 1970 be in photos taken in the 1940s?” asked Bane. Earl and Calvin contacted the U.S. bureau of veteran’s affairs and were further mystified by the response they received. “According to the military big shots there was no one named Callaghan assigned to my unit, we received a similar answer from the Canadian government,” said Hanes.

Amy Jo Johnson in Korea May 5, 1951

Earl and Calvin would spend the rest of that weekend binge drinking at the local veteran’s club. “We didn’t go to the club looking for info, we just go there drinking pretty much every night,” said Bane. “Calvin got trashed on 151 rum and started rambling on about A.J. Callaghan being Amy Jo Johnson. He wandered off and fell asleep in one of the bathroom stalls,” said Hanes. “I was taking a brief nap and I guess I was talking in my sleep when Red Meade overheard me,” said Bane. Red was shocked at what Calvin was mumbling because he also remembered A.J. Callaghan from his days aboard The USS Washington.

"Red is a good guy, even if he did serve in the navy"

Meade decided to go home and see if he had any photos of Callaghan but was arrested for DWI after a traffic stop. “Red is a good guy, even if he did serve in the navy, but it was a holiday weekend so he didn’t get out of lock up until Tuesday morning.” Said Hanes.

Johnson aboard The USS Washington

Once Meade was released from lock up the trio of unlikely detectives decided to meet at the veterans’ club and discuss their strange encounters over a few drinks. They spread Mead’s photos across a large card table and were astounded to find several photos that showed A.J. Callaghan onboard the Washington. Things got even stranger when the club’s bartender Randy Quail decided to see what all the commotion was about.

"We don’t talk much to Randy because of what The Japanese did to him over in Nam"

“In over twenty years I aint never seen Randy come out from behind the bar,” said Meade. “We don’t talk much to Randy because of what The Japanese did to him over in Nam, he acts sort of strange and I’m guessing he was tortured to the point where he forgot how to shave or put on a proper uniform for the Veteran’s Day parade,” said Hanes. “I’m pretty sure I’ve never heard him speak to anyone. He just nods and grunts when you give him a drink order,” added Bane.

Johnson in an undated photo

This day would prove to be different in many ways. “Quail began thumbing through the photos and then began jumping up and down acting like he just won the Powerball lottery,” said Hanes. Quail just started screaming, “It’s Mad Dog Callaghan! Son of a bitch, it’s Mad Dog Callaghan!” Quail then proceeded to buy everyone round after round of drinks reported Meade who noted that “Randy Quail is a cheap prick who never even offered us free peanuts before”.

"There’s quite a bit I don’t remember about Nam, like why The United States got involved"

Quail claims he fought alongside of Mad Dog Callaghan during the 1966 Battle of Bong Son in Viet Nam and never knew what fate the young Canadian Lieutenant met. "There’s quite a bit I don’t remember about Nam, like why The United States got involved or what color my socks were but I remember being pinned down by enemy fire for four days and I also remember Callaghan showing up and saving my ass."

"Callaghan had what I would say was the best damn rear end of any navy officer I had ever served under"

Mad Dog Callaghan circa 1945

While looking at photos of Amy Jo Johnson found on the web Quail was overcome by a sense of amazement. “Mad Dog hasn’t aged one day since Nam. I just can’t believe I never noticed that she was a woman until now. Of course I noticed she was a bit more feminine than the U.S. guys but I just figured that was a Canadian thing. Nam was the first time I had ever left the states so I didn’t know the customs of Canada or any other place overseas like that” said Quail. “I did notice that Callaghan had what I would say was the best damn rear end of any navy officer I had ever served under but I honestly never dreamed the Lieutenant was a woman” added Meade.

Since Channel 13 Action News first aired this story last week, the station has been inundated with hundreds of witness accounts from all branches of the military and will air a special investigative report sometime in the following weeks.