Wayne "Johnnie" Johnson
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Soldier real hero of war
November 11, 2009 10:11 AM
I would like to tell you of a real hero of the Korean War. Wayne “Johnnie” Johnson lived beside my house for a number of years. Johnnie Johnson was captured the first couple days of the Korean War. The north Korean soldiers took off their dog tags and watched them all the way into Manchuria across the Yellow River. Johnnie was with the 24 divisions — the first ones into the war. Johnnie kept track of every soldier’s name and where they died and what they died from. list out in a toothpaste tube that the Red Cross had given the prisoners.
Thirty years later that list was still down in the Pentagon and all those soldiers were listed missing in action, presumed dead. They did not use his list.
Johnson was finally issued the second-highest award given to combat soldiers. We now have a nice green sign on Reen Drive honoring Wayne Johnnie Johnson.
I was able to get Johnson into his Lima Central Catholic High School even though he did not graduate. Johnson now lives in Texas.
We named our Korean War chapter 115 The Johnnie Johnson chapter.
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