LT. Donald M Johnson
1923May 9-Born St Paul, MN
Don and Gordy
1941June- Graduated from Johnson High
1941December- Started Work for St Paul Fire & Marine
1943January- Air Cadet Program
1943-“University of The Air”, Corpus Christi Texas
1944April-Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, April 1 1944
1944April-Cecil Field, NAAS, Jacksonville, Florida
1944June-USMC Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina
1944 August- VMSB 484 MCAS El Toro, Irvine, California
1944September- MCAD Miramar, San Diego, California
1944Mid September- Departed for South Pacific
1944October- VMSB 133, Torokina Airfield, Bougainville, Solomon Islands, Promotedto 1st Lieutenant 
1944Late December- New Guinea in route to The Philippines
1945January-Mangaldan Airfield, Luzon, Philippine Islands
1945 February 19th- Killed in Action,Manila Bay, Philippine Islands
On19 February (while brother Marines were initiating their assault on Iwo Jima) a48-plane strike was launched
onderelict ships inside the Manila Harbor breakwater to assist their oldBougainville friends, the 37th Division.
The divisionwas slowly penetrating enemy strong points in the city's waterfront sector,known as Intramuros.
Fromthree battered Japanese vessels standing offshore had come harassingmedium-caliber fire.
Forover a half hour the Marines bombed and then strafed the hulks, to put out ofcommission once and for all the floating gun platforms.
Directhits were confirmed on each of the half-sunken freighters, and as the flyersset their course north to
Mangaldan,a towering column of black smoke reached skyward.
Donand his gunner did not make it back.
HALF-SUNKEN JAPANESE FREIGHTER in the foreground is one ofthe derelicts in Manila
harbor from which stranded enemy seamen continued to harassU.S. troops in the city
with machine gun fire. On 19 February, 48 MarineDauntlesses bombed and strafed
three of these hulks to silence them once and for all.
1945May 28th Major Dexter Letter to Brother Gordy
