Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current, November 09, 2011, Honoring the Armed Forces and Veterans Special Edition, Page 14, Image 14

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Page 14
N o vem ber 9, 2011
Medal Sought for World War I Veteran
Oregon’s
political leaders
lend support
Oregon politicians, family and
friends are on a mission to give
proper recognition to World War I
hero Henry Lincoln Johnson by
providing with a Medal of Honor,
which was denied to him in the past.
Johnson, an African American
soldier in World War I who died
after the war in 1929, served in an all­
black unit under French Command
and single-handedly fought off a
German raiding party and saved the
life of a fellow soldier in the early
morning hours on May 15, 1918.
His actions earned him the French
equivalent of the Medal of Honor,
but Jo h n so n ’s unit was under
French command, so the U.S. mili­
tary has claimed for more than nine
decades that there are not enough
credible U.S. sources to corrobo­
rate the story.
According to federal regulations,
the Medal of Honor is awarded by
and all sources are subject to the
same level of scrutiny.
For more than 75-years he would
not receive so much as a Purple
Heart from the U.S. military. In re­
cent years, however, family, friends
and supporters are dedicated to
have Johnson’s valor recognized.
Portland City Commissioner Nick
Fish, whose grandfather Hamilton
Fish served as an officer in the 396th
Henry Lincoln Johnson
Infantry at the same time as Johnson,
the President on behalf of the Con­ is among those seeking to honor him.
gress, and incontestable sources of
Last month, Oregon’s U.S. Sena­
proof are needed to prove the action tors Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley
also sent a letter to Defense Secre­
tary Leon Panetta, urging the De­
partment of Defense to reevaluate
Sgt. Johnson’s case for the Medal
of Honor.
“Sergeant Johnson finally re­
ceived his long overdue Purple Heart
in 1996,” wrote Wyden and Merkley
in the letter. “In 2003 after a
herculean effort by his family,
friends, and supporters, Sergeant
Johnson was awarded the Distin­
guished Service Cross. Yet these
awards do not properly recognize
Sergeant Johnson’s heroism.”
Franklin Grad
General Leads Oregon Forces
Joins Guard
The highest-ranking military officer in the state of
Oregon is Major General Raymond F. Rees, who is respon­
sible for providing the state with a ready force of citizen
soldiers and airmen, equipped and trained to respond to
any contingency, natural or manmade.
Rees directs, manages, and supervises the administra­
tion, discipline, organization, training and mobilization of
the Oregon National Guard, the Oregon State Defense
Force, the Joint Force Headquarters and the Office of
Oregon Emergency Management.
He is also assigned as the Gov. John Kitzhaber’s Home­
land Security Advisor. He develops and coordinates all
policies, plans and programs of the Oregon National Guard
in concert with the governor and Oregon Legislature.
Rees began his military career in the Army as a West
Point cadet in 1962. He earned a law degree from the
University of Oregon and is a Vietnam War veteran.
Maj. Gen. Raymond F. Rees is the highest-ranking military officer for Oregon.
TODAY’S YOUR DAY FOR CHANCE.
Franklin High School class of
2009 graduate Timothy A. Heller
has completed basic infantry train­
ing Fort Benning, Ga.
During the nine weeks of train­
ing, the Army National Guard sol­
dier received instruction in drill and
ceremonies, weapons, map read­
ing, tactics, military courtesy, mili­
tary justice, physical fitness, first
aid, and Army history/
Additional training included de­
velopment of basic combat skills
and battlefield operations and tac­
tics, and experiencing use of vari­
ous weapons and weapons de­
fenses.
\fin it/
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