Leroy Johnson (Medal of Honor) explained

Leroy Johnson
Birth Date:6 December 1919
Birth Place:Caney Creek, Allen Parish, Louisiana
Death Place:Limon, Leyte, the Philippines
Placeofburial:Manila American Cemetery, Philippines
Placeofburial Label:Place of burial
Allegiance:United States of America
Branch:United States Army
Serviceyears:1943ā€“1944
Rank:Sergeant
Unit:126th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division
Battles:World War II
Awards:Medal of Honor
Silver Star
Purple Heart (2)

Leroy Johnson (December 6, 1919 ā€“ December 15, 1944) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in World War II. Camp Leroy Johnson in New Orleans, LA, was renamed after him in 1947.

Biography

Johnson joined the Army from Oakdale, Louisiana on November 26, 1941[1] and was assigned to the 32nd Infantry Division. On April 6, 1943, Sgt. Johnson was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action against entrenched Japanese at Senananda. By December 15, 1944, he was serving as a Sergeant in Company K, 126th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division during the Battle of Leyte. On that day, near Limon, Leyte, the Philippines, he smothered the blast of two enemy-thrown grenades with his body, sacrificing himself to protect those around him. For this action, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor ten months later, on October 2, 1945.

Johnson was buried at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines. A bronze memorial plaque in his honor was mounted on the wall of the Allen Parish courthouse in Oberlin, Louisiana, a few miles south of his native Oakdale.

Medal of Honor citation

Sergeant Johnson's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

See also

References

Notes and References

  1. War Department Bureau of Public Relations SIS release C-397