Leroy Johnson

Leroy Johnson (December 6, 1919 – December 15, 1944) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in World War II. Camp Leroy Johnson in New Orleans, LA, was renamed after him in 1947.

Biography Johnson joined the Army from Oakdale, Louisiana on November 26, 1941 and was assigned to the 32nd Infantry Division. On April 6, 1943, Sgt. Johnson was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action against entrenched Japanese at Senananda. By December 15, 1944, he was serving as a Sergeant in Company K, 126th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division during the Battle of Leyte. On that day, near Limon, Leyte, the Philippines, he smothered 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 ten months later, on October 2, 1945.

Johnson was buried at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines. A bronze memorial plaque in his honor was mounted on the wall of the Allen Parish courthouse in Oberlin, Louisiana, a few miles south of his native Oakdale.

Medal of Honor citation Sergeant Johnson's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

Awards and decorations alt=A metal device depicting a blue bar with a rifle, in front of a wreath of silver leaves. with one oak leaf clusterArmy Good Conduct MedalAmerican Campaign Medal3rd rowAsiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one campaign starWorld War II Victory MedalPhilippine Liberation Medal