| Ralph Henry Johnson | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 11, 1949 Charleston, South Carolina |
| Died | March 5, 1968 (aged 19) KIA in Vietnam |
| Place of burial | Beaufort National Cemetery South Carolina |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1967-1968 |
| Rank | Private First Class |
| Unit | 1st Reconnaissance Battalion |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
| Awards | Medal of Honor Purple Heart |
Ralph Henry Johnson (January 1, 1949 – March 5, 1968) was a United States Marine who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for heroism in March 1968 during the Vietnam War. When a hand grenade was thrown into his fighting hole, he immediately covered it with his body — absorbing the full impact of the blast — sacrificing his life to save a fellow Marine and preventing the enemy from penetrating his patrol perimeter.
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Ralph Johnson was born on January 11, 1949, in Charleston, South Carolina. He attended Courtnay Elementary School and Simonton Jr. High School in Charleston, South Carolina.
Johnson enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve at Oakland, California on March 23, 1967, and was discharged to enlist in the regular Marine Corps on July 2, 1967.
Upon completion of recruit training with the 1st Recruit Training Battalion, Recruit Training Regiment, MCRD San Diego, California, in September 1967, he was transferred to the Camp Pendleton, California. He underwent individual combat training with Company Y, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, and basic infantry training with the Basic Infantry Training Company, 2nd Infantry Training Regiment, completing the latter in November 1967. He was promoted to private first class on November 1, 1967.
In January 1968, he arrived in the Republic of Vietnam, and served as a reconnaissance scout with Company A, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division.
On March 5, 1968, while on Operation Rock, deep in enemy-held territory near the Quan Duc Valley, his 15-man reconnaissance patrol was attacked by a platoon-sized enemy force. When a hand grenade landed in the fighting hole he shared with fellow Marines, he yelled a warning and immediately hurled his body over the explosive charge. Absorbing the full impact of the blast, was killed instantly. His heroic actions on that day were recognized with a posthumous award of the United States' highest military decoration — the Medal of Honor.
Ralph H. Johnson is buried in the Beaufort National Cemetery in South Carolina.[1]
A complete list of his medals and decorations includes: the Medal of Honor, the Purple Heart, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with two bronze stars, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm, the Vietnamese Military Merit Medal, and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.
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| Medal of Honor | ||
| Purple Heart | National Defense Service Medal | Vietnam Service Medal with two bronze stars |
| Vietnam Military Merit Medal | Vietnam Gallantry Cross with palm | Vietnam Campaign Medal |
The Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston, South Carolina, formerly the Charleston VA Medical Center, was renamed in honor of PFC Johnson, with a formal dedication on September 5, 1991.[2][3] Johnson's Medal of Honor, along with his Medal of Honor citation and a portrait of him, is framed and on public display at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center's front lobby.
Johnson's name is inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial ("The Wall") in Washington, D.C. on Panel 43E, Line 008.[4]
The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to
PRIVATE FIRST CLASS RALPH H. JOHNSON
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
for service as set forth in the following CITATION:
/S/ RICHARD M. NIXON