Leroy Johnson
Sergeant, U.S. Army
Medal of Honor Recipient
World War II

Sergeant Leroy Johnson (6 December 1919 - 15 December 1944) was a U.S. Army soldier who was posthumously awarded the U.S. military's highest award for valor, the Medal of Honor, for his heroic actions during World War II.

Leroy Johnson was born on 6 December 1919 in Caney Creek, LA. He joined the Army from Oakdale, LA. On 15 December 1944, he was serving as a Sergeant in Company K, 126th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division. That day near Limon, Leyte, the Philippines, he covered the blast of two enemy-thrown grenades with his body, sacrificing himself to protect those around him. For this action, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

Medal of Honor

Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company K, 126th Infantry, 32nd Infantry Division.

Place and date: Near Limon, Leyte, Philippine Islands, 15 December 1944.

Citation: He was squad leader of a 9-man patrol sent to reconnoiter a ridge held by a well-entrenched enemy force. Seeing an enemy machinegun position, he ordered his men to remain behind while he crawled to within 6 yards of the gun. One of the enemy crew jumped up and prepared to man the weapon. Quickly withdrawing, Sgt. Johnson rejoined his patrol and reported the situation to his commanding officer. Ordered to destroy the gun, which covered the approaches to several other enemy positions, he chose 3 other men, armed them with hand grenades, and led them to a point near the objective. After taking partial cover behind a log, the men had knocked out the gun and begun an assault when hostile troops on the flank hurled several grenades. As he started for cover, Sgt. Johnson saw 2 unexploded grenades which had fallen near his men. Knowing that his comrades would be wounded or killed by the explosion, he deliberately threw himself on the grenades and received their full charge in his body. Fatally wounded by the blast, he died soon afterward. Through his outstanding gallantry in sacrificing his life for his comrades, Sgt. Johnson provided a shining example of the highest traditions of the U.S. Army.

Medals and Awards

Medal of Honor
Silver Star Medal
Purple Heart (2)

Honors

A bronze memorial plaque in Leroy Johnson's honor was mounted on the wall of the Oberlin, LA, Courthouse. Johnson was from Oakdale, just a few miles north of Oberlin in Allen Parish.

Death and Burial

Sergeant Leroy Johnson was killed in action on 15 December 1944. Johnson was buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in Manila, the Philippines, in C-10-79.