WEBVTT 00:00:02.279 --> 00:00:09.580 Hey, it's Memorial Day 2025, and this is a soldier's 00:00:09.580 --> 00:00:14.419 story. As long as I'm alive, I will tell the 00:00:14.419 --> 00:00:18.219 story of Sergeant Leroy Johnson. It's a story 00:00:18.219 --> 00:00:22.519 worth telling, worth passing on. We need to be 00:00:22.519 --> 00:00:28.600 reminded that freedom is never free. It's important 00:00:28.600 --> 00:00:31.100 to remember stories of heroes who pay with their 00:00:31.100 --> 00:00:37.950 lives. There is no better example of this than 00:00:37.950 --> 00:00:42.189 Sergeant Leroy Johnson of Oakdale, Louisiana. 00:00:44.689 --> 00:00:48.829 Since 1965 a bronze plaque has stood in the median 00:00:48.829 --> 00:00:52.130 of Louisiana Highway 10 in the town of Oakdale. 00:00:53.429 --> 00:00:56.549 This plaque summarizes the story of Sergeant 00:00:56.549 --> 00:01:00.320 Leroy Johnson. The inscription on the plaque 00:01:00.320 --> 00:01:04.040 ends with the wonderful words of Jesus from John 00:01:04.040 --> 00:01:10.819 15 -13. Greater love has no one in this that 00:01:10.819 --> 00:01:15.560 he lay down his life for his friends. This is 00:01:15.560 --> 00:01:18.420 the story of Leroy Johnson. He was born December 00:01:18.420 --> 00:01:23.840 6, 1920 near Caney Creek, Louisiana. His father 00:01:23.840 --> 00:01:27.000 was a cartender. and his mother was busy rearing 00:01:27.000 --> 00:01:31.140 a large family. Growing up, Leroy Johnson knew 00:01:31.140 --> 00:01:33.680 what it was like to work hard and do the best 00:01:33.680 --> 00:01:37.439 he could with what he had. Men like Leroy Johnson, 00:01:37.560 --> 00:01:40.819 who later fought in our greatest war, grew up 00:01:40.819 --> 00:01:44.700 during our nation's hardest time, the Great Depression. 00:01:46.000 --> 00:01:48.719 I believe those hard years helped train the soldiers 00:01:48.719 --> 00:01:53.739 who later won in Europe and the Pacific. Many 00:01:53.739 --> 00:01:56.019 young men in this generation found work with 00:01:56.019 --> 00:02:00.319 the civilian conservation corps. The CCC camps, 00:02:00.319 --> 00:02:03.739 as they were called, gave these young men jobs 00:02:03.739 --> 00:02:07.239 and some income, most of which was sent home 00:02:07.239 --> 00:02:10.960 to their families. Most importantly, the CCC 00:02:10.960 --> 00:02:15.039 gave young men a sense of self -respect and work 00:02:15.039 --> 00:02:18.580 skills. Additionally, they learned to live and 00:02:18.580 --> 00:02:22.000 work together, a trait that came in handy. during 00:02:22.000 --> 00:02:26.180 the war years of the next decade. Leroy Johnson 00:02:26.180 --> 00:02:29.139 worked in one of the many camps found throughout 00:02:29.139 --> 00:02:35.719 the Kasachi forest in central Louisiana. In 1941, 00:02:35.960 --> 00:02:38.979 prior to Pearl Harbor and the outbreak of war, 00:02:39.139 --> 00:02:43.400 Leroy Johnson joined the Army. His departure 00:02:43.400 --> 00:02:46.379 for boot camp marked the last time he would see 00:02:46.379 --> 00:02:51.530 his family and be home in Allen Parish. Evidently 00:02:51.530 --> 00:02:54.469 the Army agreed with him. From his letters, homes, 00:02:54.590 --> 00:02:56.830 and comments from the men he served with, he 00:02:56.830 --> 00:03:00.389 was born to be a soldier. They placed him in 00:03:00.389 --> 00:03:04.689 the 32nd Infantry Division, and most of the men 00:03:04.689 --> 00:03:07.169 of this division were from the northern states 00:03:07.169 --> 00:03:11.610 of Wisconsin and Michigan. This division was 00:03:11.610 --> 00:03:15.229 involved in the large -scale 1941 maneuvers, 00:03:15.469 --> 00:03:18.990 then being held in the Forest of Louisiana. and 00:03:18.990 --> 00:03:21.889 they plugged new southern enlistees like Johnson 00:03:21.889 --> 00:03:26.710 into these northern units. From reading his service 00:03:26.710 --> 00:03:29.930 letters and the history of this division, we 00:03:29.930 --> 00:03:32.750 can track Leroy Johnson's travel over the next 00:03:32.750 --> 00:03:37.729 few years of the war. He was part of the campaign 00:03:37.729 --> 00:03:40.449 to take the eastern portion of New Guinea from 00:03:40.449 --> 00:03:45.030 the Japanese. This invasion was to stop the Japanese 00:03:45.030 --> 00:03:48.759 advance towards Australia. General MacArthur 00:03:48.759 --> 00:03:51.680 stated his strategy when he said, we will protect 00:03:51.680 --> 00:03:56.060 Australia from New Guinea. Reading the official 00:03:56.060 --> 00:03:58.520 division history, the jungle fighting in this 00:03:58.520 --> 00:04:01.780 large island was difficult, slow and deadly. 00:04:02.740 --> 00:04:05.699 The Japanese troops were experienced jungle fighters, 00:04:06.659 --> 00:04:09.259 and the 32nd Division, which would later spend 00:04:09.259 --> 00:04:12.259 more days in actual combat than any other division 00:04:12.259 --> 00:04:17.160 in war, was still green and untried. During this 00:04:17.160 --> 00:04:20.959 time, Leroy Johnson was awarded his first Purple 00:04:20.959 --> 00:04:24.220 Heart as well as two Silver Stars for gallantry. 00:04:25.779 --> 00:04:29.939 He spent the next part of the year recuperating 00:04:29.939 --> 00:04:34.779 in Australia from his wounds in the Guinea. The 00:04:34.779 --> 00:04:38.060 32nd Division, or Red Air Brigade as it was called, 00:04:38.439 --> 00:04:41.920 was part of the 1944 invasion of the Philippines. 00:04:42.540 --> 00:04:45.699 The fighting with the Japanese on the many islands 00:04:45.699 --> 00:04:49.720 of this country was tough and deadly. Company 00:04:49.720 --> 00:04:53.639 K, in which Sergeant Johnson served, landed on 00:04:53.639 --> 00:04:57.060 the eastern Philippine island of Letay. As they 00:04:57.060 --> 00:04:59.660 fought to where inland, they reached an area 00:04:59.660 --> 00:05:05.120 near the Filipino city of Limon. Company K's 00:05:05.120 --> 00:05:08.589 commanding officer was Johnny B. Wax. Captain 00:05:08.589 --> 00:05:12.189 Wax, also a Louisianaan, had been Johnson's commanding 00:05:12.189 --> 00:05:16.449 officer for several months. Now the brave act 00:05:16.449 --> 00:05:19.110 for which Leroy Johnson won a Congressional Medal 00:05:19.110 --> 00:05:22.430 honor is best described in the following documents. 00:05:23.170 --> 00:05:27.689 The first is an official Army citation of his 00:05:27.689 --> 00:05:35.610 heroism on December 15, 1944. On 12 -15 -1944, 00:05:35.920 --> 00:05:38.740 Sergeant Johnston was the squad leader of a nine 00:05:38.740 --> 00:05:42.720 -man patrol sent to scout a ridge held by a well 00:05:42.720 --> 00:05:47.180 -entrenched enemy force. Seeing the enemy in 00:05:47.180 --> 00:05:49.680 machine -gun position, he ordered his men to 00:05:49.680 --> 00:05:52.100 remain behind while he crawled within six yards 00:05:52.100 --> 00:05:56.040 of the gun. One of the enemy crew jumped up and 00:05:56.040 --> 00:05:59.699 prepared to man the weapon. Quickly withdrawn, 00:06:00.079 --> 00:06:03.259 Sergeant Johnston rejoined his parole and reported 00:06:03.259 --> 00:06:07.220 the situation to his commanding officer. ordered 00:06:07.220 --> 00:06:10.379 to destroy the gun, which covered the approaches 00:06:10.379 --> 00:06:14.819 to several other enemy positions. Johnson chose 00:06:14.819 --> 00:06:18.519 three men, armed with hand grenades, and led 00:06:18.519 --> 00:06:22.459 them to a point near the objective. After taking 00:06:22.459 --> 00:06:26.060 partial cover behind the log, the men had knocked 00:06:26.060 --> 00:06:29.399 out the gun and began assault when hostile troops 00:06:29.399 --> 00:06:33.839 on the flank hurled several grenades. As he started 00:06:33.839 --> 00:06:37.149 for cover, Sergeant Johnson saw two unexploded 00:06:37.149 --> 00:06:42.250 grenades that had fallen near his men. Knowing 00:06:42.250 --> 00:06:44.410 that his comrades would be wounded or killed 00:06:44.410 --> 00:06:47.829 by the explosion, he deliberately threw himself 00:06:47.829 --> 00:06:52.050 on the grenades and received the full charge 00:06:52.050 --> 00:06:55.810 in his body. Fatally wounded by the blast, he 00:06:55.810 --> 00:06:58.889 died soon afterwards. Through his outstanding 00:06:58.889 --> 00:07:02.629 gallantry and sacrificing his life for his comrades, 00:07:03.290 --> 00:07:07.670 Sergeant Johnson provided a shining example of 00:07:07.670 --> 00:07:12.329 the highest traditions of the U .S. Army. This 00:07:12.329 --> 00:07:16.290 is a letter sent to his mother Fenducos MacArthur, 00:07:17.529 --> 00:07:21.170 General Headquarters, Southwest Pacific Area, 00:07:21.709 --> 00:07:27.689 February 11, 1945, Mrs. Isaline Johnson, General 00:07:27.689 --> 00:07:31.829 Delivery, Oakdale, Louisiana. Dear Mrs. Johnson, 00:07:32.470 --> 00:07:35.829 In the death of your son, Sergeant Leroy Johnson, 00:07:36.449 --> 00:07:41.129 you have my heartfelt sympathy. His service was 00:07:41.129 --> 00:07:43.449 characterized by his devotion to our beloved 00:07:43.449 --> 00:07:48.009 country. In his death, we have lost a gallant 00:07:48.009 --> 00:07:55.550 comrade in arms. Very faithfully, Douglas MacArthur." 00:07:55.550 --> 00:07:58.689 As commanding officer, Captain Johnny Wax sent 00:07:58.689 --> 00:08:02.110 the following letter to Johnson's family. on 00:08:02.110 --> 00:08:07.410 October 16, 1945. Dear Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, 00:08:08.589 --> 00:08:10.629 Several times during the last few months I have 00:08:10.629 --> 00:08:13.730 received good news, but none made me any happier 00:08:13.730 --> 00:08:16.509 than when I picked up last Monday's tides pick 00:08:16.509 --> 00:08:20.110 you in and learned that your son had been ordered 00:08:20.110 --> 00:08:25.029 the Congressional Medal of Honor. He was a fine 00:08:25.029 --> 00:08:29.180 boy and every inch a soldier. I was closely associated 00:08:29.180 --> 00:08:31.079 with him for several months and always found 00:08:31.079 --> 00:08:36.740 him cooperative and helpful in every way. I witnessed 00:08:36.740 --> 00:08:39.940 the incident for which he received our country's 00:08:39.940 --> 00:08:43.799 highest award. After receiving his fatal wound, 00:08:44.200 --> 00:08:47.679 Leroy managed to get up, take about three staggering 00:08:47.679 --> 00:08:50.720 steps, and reach about three of us who were rushing 00:08:50.720 --> 00:08:54.740 up the hilltop to help him. We lowered him rapidly 00:08:54.740 --> 00:08:57.799 down the hill. and he died within a few minutes. 00:08:59.399 --> 00:09:03.419 Nothing can bring back his life, but I am sincerely 00:09:03.419 --> 00:09:06.779 glad that a grateful nation could in some way, 00:09:06.899 --> 00:09:09.639 even though small, show their appreciation for 00:09:09.639 --> 00:09:13.500 what he did. His name and the sacrifice he made 00:09:13.500 --> 00:09:17.059 will always stand out in a division as has been 00:09:17.059 --> 00:09:21.700 outstanding throughout this war. Johnny B. Wax, 00:09:22.039 --> 00:09:29.139 formerly CO Company K. Leroy Johnson received 00:09:29.139 --> 00:09:35.019 a full military burial near Limon, Leyte, Philippines. 00:09:35.639 --> 00:09:38.820 At a later date, his body was moved to the American 00:09:38.820 --> 00:09:42.879 cemetery near Manila, the capital of the Philippines. 00:09:44.399 --> 00:09:50.679 He is buried in plot C, row D, grave 79, along 00:09:50.679 --> 00:09:56.759 with 17 ,000 206 other brave American soldiers. 00:09:58.419 --> 00:10:01.059 Among this vast number of graves are the remains 00:10:01.059 --> 00:10:05.039 of six other Congressional Medal of Honor recipients. 00:10:06.899 --> 00:10:09.759 Think about Leroy Johnson's selfish act on that 00:10:09.759 --> 00:10:12.659 day nearly 80 years ago. Several questions come 00:10:12.659 --> 00:10:17.659 to my mind. First, when did he decide to fall 00:10:17.659 --> 00:10:21.220 on those hand grenades? Was it a split -second 00:10:21.220 --> 00:10:25.940 decision? Or maybe Leroy Johnson's act of laying 00:10:25.940 --> 00:10:28.740 down his life to protect his three fellow soldiers 00:10:28.740 --> 00:10:32.659 was not spontaneous. Could have been a decision, 00:10:33.000 --> 00:10:36.559 or better yet, a commitment. He'd made days, 00:10:37.039 --> 00:10:40.580 even weeks, maybe a month ago, of what he would 00:10:40.580 --> 00:10:44.320 do in a situation like this. Maybe he had set 00:10:44.320 --> 00:10:47.039 around a battlefield, campfire one night. The 00:10:47.039 --> 00:10:49.899 men of his company eating cold sea rations, covering 00:10:49.899 --> 00:10:54.419 mud. At that moment, he may have decided he would 00:10:54.419 --> 00:10:58.139 gladly lay down his life for any of these men. 00:10:59.620 --> 00:11:01.559 I wonder, do you look around at these men gathered 00:11:01.559 --> 00:11:05.360 in a circle and think, if I need to, I'm willing 00:11:05.360 --> 00:11:09.360 to die to save them? Then my second question 00:11:09.360 --> 00:11:13.720 is maybe even more thought -provoking. What causes 00:11:13.720 --> 00:11:18.139 a man to throw himself knowing sudden death awaits 00:11:18.139 --> 00:11:21.720 on a hand grenade? In Sergeant Johnson's case, 00:11:21.840 --> 00:11:25.039 he outranked the three men with him on his patrol. 00:11:25.820 --> 00:11:29.860 Why was he, their leader, willing to die them? 00:11:31.220 --> 00:11:33.860 My humble belief is that he did it because of 00:11:33.860 --> 00:11:37.320 love. Now, soldiers of Johnson's group would 00:11:37.320 --> 00:11:41.200 never use that term. They would have been embarrassed 00:11:41.200 --> 00:11:46.039 at that term, I did it because I love you. But 00:11:46.039 --> 00:11:48.500 I go back to the words of the plaque in Oakdale. 00:11:48.889 --> 00:11:52.110 They are the words of Jesus, who also knew what 00:11:52.110 --> 00:11:56.309 he was talking about when discussing self -sacrifice. 00:11:56.870 --> 00:12:00.409 Greater love has no men in this, that he lay 00:12:00.409 --> 00:12:04.110 down his life for his friends. I can think of 00:12:04.110 --> 00:12:07.090 no better way to say it, and I will not attempt 00:12:07.090 --> 00:12:10.990 to put it differently. Jesus' words and actions 00:12:10.990 --> 00:12:14.539 speak for themselves. I guess one reason I've 00:12:14.539 --> 00:12:16.779 always been fascinated by the story of Lee Roy 00:12:16.779 --> 00:12:19.659 Johnson is how his actions in the Philippines 00:12:19.659 --> 00:12:23.340 is a reminder of what Jesus did on the cross. 00:12:24.039 --> 00:12:27.879 Once again, the leader, the ranking soldier in 00:12:27.879 --> 00:12:31.519 his unit, saw that quick and decisive action 00:12:31.519 --> 00:12:35.259 was required. He did not appoint a lesser soldier 00:12:35.259 --> 00:12:39.120 to take action. He did it himself. Now he'd been 00:12:39.120 --> 00:12:42.019 assigned his job by his commanding officer who 00:12:42.019 --> 00:12:45.950 watched. from a short distance. He would finish 00:12:45.950 --> 00:12:49.529 this assignment, no matter what it took, and 00:12:49.529 --> 00:12:52.970 freely and willingly he took on the full brunt 00:12:52.970 --> 00:12:57.250 of the enemy's fury. No one made him do it. He 00:12:57.250 --> 00:13:01.190 did it on his own. Jesus freely sacrificed his 00:13:01.190 --> 00:13:04.809 life. Although there is no need for it, he would 00:13:04.809 --> 00:13:09.690 gladly do it again to save your soul, and a soul. 00:13:10.039 --> 00:13:12.820 the part of a human that lives on when his physical 00:13:12.820 --> 00:13:17.379 body dies and decays is invaluable and priceless 00:13:17.379 --> 00:13:23.799 and whatever it takes. Once again, a soldier's 00:13:23.799 --> 00:13:27.840 story of sacrifice, a soldier's story to remember 00:13:27.840 --> 00:13:31.500 with both gratitude and respect.