James E. Johnson

For the U.S. Assistant Secretary of the Navy, see James E. Johnson (U.S. Navy).

James Edmund Johnson
Posthumous Medal of Honor recipient James Johnson
Born	(1926-01-01)January 1, 1926 Pocatello, Idaho
Died	December 2, 1950(1950-12-02) (aged 24) Chosin Reservoir, Korea
Place of burial	Remains not recovered; memorial headstone in Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States of America
Service / branch	United States Marine Corps
Years of service	1943–1946, 1948–1950
Rank	Sergeant
Unit	Company J, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division
Battles / wars	World War II Battle of Peleliu Battle of Okinawa Korean War Battle of Inchon Second Phase Offensive Battle of Chosin Reservoir  (MIA)
Awards	Medal of Honor (1950) Purple Heart

Sergeant James Edmund Johnson (January 1, 1926 – December 2, 1950) was a posthumous recipient of the United States' highest decoration — the Medal of Honor — for his heroic lone fight on December 2, 1950, to cover the withdrawal of his platoon during the bitter Chosin Reservoir campaign in Korea. When last seen by his comrades Johnson was wounded, but still engaging the enemy in close grenade and hand-to-hand combat. The enemy were wearing the uniforms of friendly troops at the time. He was listed as missing in action until December 2, 1953, when his status was officially changed to killed in action.

Sergeant Johnson, a veteran of the Peleliu and Okinawa campaigns in World War II, was the seventh Marine awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism in Korea.

Although Johnson was serving with a provisional company of the 7th Marines when he earned the Medal of Honor, his regular outfit was the 11th Marines, the same regiment his father had served in during World War I.

Biography

Memorial marker at Arlington National Cemetery

James Edmund Johnson was born in Pocatello, Idaho, on January 1, 1926. He attended public schools there and played junior varsity basketball for two years in high school before enlisting in the United States Marine Corps on November 10, 1943.

After serving in the Pacific theater during World War II and at San Diego, he was discharged on February 7, 1946, and returned to Pocatello, where he worked as a machinist in the Naval Ordnance plant. He also attended Western Washington College in Bellingham, Washington, before re-enlisting in the Marines on January 13, 1948. He embarked for Korea after a year as an instructor in post exchange accounting at the Marine Corps Institute, Marine Barracks, 8th and I Sts., S.E., Washington, D.C.

He departed for Korea in August 1950, just five days after the birth of his daughter. On December 2, 1950, in Yudam-ni, Korea, Johnson heroically fought against a disguised enemy force, allowing his unit to successfully withdraw and saving the lives of many. He was declared missing in action and as of December 2, 1953, his status was updated to killed in action. Decades after the war it was said by a fellow Marine that Johnson was last seen engaging numerous hostile enemies in hand-to-hand combat while suffering numerous gunshot wounds so they could escape. He was one of many who lost their lives in the Battle of Chosin Reservoir and whose remains were never recovered.

The Medal of Honor was presented to Johnson's widow on March 29, 1954, by Secretary of the Navy Robert B. Anderson. Medals of Honor were presented in the same Pentagon ceremony to the families of Sgt Daniel P. Matthews and Cpl Lee H. Phillips.

Johnson is memorialized in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia. His cenotaph grave can be found in the Memorial Section H, Lot 451.

Awards and decorations

Sgt Johnson is also an alumnus of Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity.

Medal of Honor	Purple Heart	Presidential Unit Citation with one bronze star
Navy Unit Commendation	Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with two bronze service stars	World War II Victory Medal
Navy Occupation Service Medal with "ASIA" clasp	National Defense Service Medal	Korean Service Medal with three bronze stars

Medal of Honor citation

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR to

SERGEANT JAMES E. JOHNSON
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

for service as set forth in the following CITATION:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Squad Leader in a Provisional Rifle Platoon composed of Artillery men and attached to Company J, Third Battalion, Seventh Marines, First Marine Division (Reinforced), in action against enemy aggressor forces at Yudam-ni, Korea, on 2 December 1950. Vastly outnumbered by a well-entrenched and cleverly concealed enemy force wearing the uniforms of friendly troops and attacking his platoon's open and unconcealed positions, Sergeant Johnson unhesitatingly took charge of his platoon in the absence of the leader and exhibiting great personal valor in the face of a heavy barrage of hostile fire, coolly proceeded to move about among his men, shouting words of encouragement and inspiration and skillfully directing their fire. Ordered to displace his platoon during the fire fight, he immediately placed himself in an extremely hazardous position from which he could provide covering fire for his men. Fully aware that his voluntary action meant either certain death or capture to himself, he courageously continued to provide effective cover for his men and was last observed in a wounded condition single-handedly engaging enemy troops in close hand grenade and hand-to-hand fighting. By his valiant and inspiring leadership, Sergeant Johnson was directly responsible for the successful completion of the platoon's displacement and the saving of many lives. His dauntless fighting spirit and unfaltering devotion to duty in the face of terrific odds reflect the highest credit upon himself and the United States Naval Service.

/S/ HARRY S. TRUMAN

See also

• List of Medal of Honor recipients
• List of Korean War Medal of Honor recipients
• List of people who disappeared
• William G. Windrich, USMC Medal of Honor recipient, also killed in action at Yudam-ni.

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.

• "Sergeant James Edmund Johnson, USMC, Who's Who in Marine Corps History, History Division, United States Marine Corps". Archived from the original on February 8, 2012. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
• "Sgt James E. Johnson, Medal of Honor, 1950, 3/17/1, Korea, Medal of Honor citation". Archived from the original on June 10, 2006. Retrieved June 12, 2006.

Further reading

• Sullivan, Col. R.E., USMC (Ret.). Jim Johnson, USMC, January 12, 2000. (Memories of Jim Johnson by a fellow Marine)
• Sterner, C. Douglas. "Breakout from the Chosin Reservoir" Archived 2006-08-23 at the Wayback Machine. (URL accessed June 12, 2006)
• "Chosin Reservoir: Epic of Endurance, Korean War Educator". March 16, 2006. Archived from the original on January 13, 2017. Retrieved June 15, 2006.
• "James Edmund Johnson, Sergeant, United States Marine Corps". Retrieved September 29, 2010.