Michael Vann Johnson Jr

Little Rock, Arkansas

March 25, 2003

Dear Sir,

Howdy, and first let me thank you for hosting this site.  I fought
in the Iraq War with several of these fine young men.  The DOD releases you
based your information were not in any great detail.  This was most likely
done to protect their memories to their respective families and friends.
Today I would ask that you make only a few changes so we, their friends, can
pay them the same respect that we would have them show us.  My first favor
to ask of you is to change some information regarding my buddy Vann (Michael
Vann Johnson Jr).  His rank when he died was HM3(FMF) Johnson.  He was
posthumously awarded second class petty officer, HM2(FMF) Johnson.  But to
us that knew him then he was a third class petty officer, HM3(FMF) Johnson.
He was a Navy Corpsman, not a medic.  The Army has medics, the Navy and
Marine Corps has Hospital Corpsmen.  Vann was a Corpsman, and a damn good
one Sir.  His Unit/Location is incorrect as well.  It should read Naval
Medical Center, First Marine Division Detachment San Diego California.  He
was assigned to Third Battalion Fifth Marines (3/5), in First Marine
Division (1st MAR DIV) for the duration of the Iraq War.  He was what is
called MAP personnel (Medical Augmented Personnel).  Which means his
assigned duty in the Navy was in a Hospital, although he had served with the
Marines before.  We all (Hospital Corpsmen) do a rotation between the Navy
and the Marine Corps, we are the medical care for both departments.  Vann
was called to leave the Hospital and come help us in 3/5, we needed more
Corpsmen to help us fight the War and bring our Marines home.  When Vann
arrived at 3/5 he was put with Weapons Company in the CAAT Platoon.  He
traveled with his men in their humvee and took care of them.  Sometime in
March, I don't exactly remember the date, I believe it was around the
fifteenth his CAAT vehicle was assigned to Kilo Company, my Company, to aid
in enemy fire suppression.  On March twenty fifth  a RPG (Rocket Propelled
Grenade) entered the humvee he was sitting in, struck him in the head, and
then detonated.    The resulting blast and shrapnel took his life, and
injured the gunner in the turret, LCPL Quintero.  I wasn't far from him when
this happened.  Although not many of us witnessed it, most wish they hadn't.
Quintero in now a CPL, and still in 3/5 Weapons Company CAAT Platoon.  I
hear that he will pick up SGT soon.  He lived only suffering severe internal
organ damage.  I bandaged him up with the aid of a junior Corpsman, HN
Elder, taking vitals for me.  He has had several surgeries and will bare the
scars and memories forever.  We must never forget Vann, and those like him,
we will carry these scars and memories with us forever.  It's the very least
we can do. 

     Yours,
     Doc J

THEN        HM3(FMF/AW)Johnston, Christopher, Ray
                   1st Marine Divison
             3rd Battalion 5th Marines
                                Kilo Company
 
NOW           HM3(FMF/AW)Johnston, Christopher, Ray
                         Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton

"Dying for freedom isn't the worst
thing that could happen, being forgotten is."

Michael Vann Johnson Jr., who liked to draw and to play basketball, was raised in Little Rock, Ark. He and his wife, Cherice, lived in San Diego. The Navy medic was tending to injured colleagues March 25, when he was hit by shrapnel and killed.