LT. Donald M Johnson

1923 May 9-Born St Paul, MN


Don and Gordy

1941 June- Graduated from Johnson High

1941 December- Started Work for St Paul Fire & Marine

1943 January- Air Cadet Program

1943- “University of The Air”, Corpus Christi Texas

1944 April-Commissioned 2^nd Lieutenant, April 1 1944

1944 April-Cecil Field, NAAS, Jacksonville, Florida

1944 June-USMC Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina

1944 August- VMSB 484 MCAS El Toro, Irvine, California

1944 September- MCAD Miramar, San Diego, California

1944 Mid September- Departed for South Pacific

1944 October- VMSB 133, Torokina Airfield, Bougainville, Solomon Islands, Promoted to 1^st Lieutenant

1944 Late December- New Guinea in route to The Philippines

1945 January-Mangaldan Airfield, Luzon, Philippine Islands

1945 February 19^th- Killed in Action, Manila Bay, Philippine Islands

On 19 February (while brother Marines were initiating their assault on Iwo Jima) a 48-plane strike was launched

on derelict ships inside the Manila Harbor breakwater to assist their old Bougainville friends, the 37th Division.

The division was slowly penetrating enemy strong points in the city's waterfront sector, known as Intramuros.

From three battered Japanese vessels standing offshore had come harassing medium-caliber fire.

For over a half hour the Marines bombed and then strafed the hulks, to put out of commission once and for all the floating gun platforms.

Direct hits were confirmed on each of the half-sunken freighters, and as the flyers set their course north to

Mangaldan, a towering column of black smoke reached skyward.

Don and his gunner did not make it back.


HALF-SUNKEN JAPANESE FREIGHTER in the foreground is one of the derelicts in Manila

harbor from which stranded enemy seamen continued to harass U.S. troops in the city

with machine gun fire. On 19 February, 48 Marine Dauntlesses bombed and strafed

three of these hulks to silence them once and for all.

1945 May 28^th Major Dexter Letter to Brother Gordy