Medal of Honor awarded posthumously to local Korean War hero

Charles R. Johnson, a Korean war veteran who died in combat in 1953, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on Friday, Jan. 3.

Photo provided
history

Medal of Honor awarded posthumously to local Korean War hero

Following years of local and regional efforts, Pfc. Charles R. Johnson of Millbrook was posthumously recognized for valor, receiving the Medal of Honor at a White House ceremony on Friday, Jan. 3. The medal was one of seven presented by President Joseph Biden.

Of the seven medals awarded, five were posthumously awarded to Korean War casualties and the remaining two honored Vietnam veterans, one of whom had perished in battle.

The third of six children, Johnson was born Aug. 11, 1932, in Millbrook to Robert and Pearl Johnson. He excelled in athletics and was a gifted musician. He attended Millbrook High School for three years before transferring to Arlington High School in Poughkeepsie, where he was co-captain of the football team and won election as class vice-president.

Johnson attended Howard University briefly before being drafted in 1952 into the U.S. Army, assigned to Company B, 3rd Infantry. He was killed in June, 1953 demonstrating extraordinary bravery, although mortally wounded himself, to save the lives of ten of his fellow infantrymen..

More than 70 years later, and efforts in recent years to upgrade Johnson’s Silver Star to the Medal of Honor, Johnson’s valor was officially recognized at The White House, where the medal was accepted by Johnson’s sister, Juanita.

Commentary provided after the ceremony by U.S. Rep. Pat Ryan described the process that resulted in the awarding of the Medal of Honor to Johnson.

In May of 2024, Congressman Ryan continued ongoing regional efforts to upgrade the Silver Star that had been awarded in 2011 to the Medal of Honor by calling on President Biden to approve the change.

Ryan’s action capped 20 years of efforts by Johnson’s family, friends, Arlington High School administrators and schoolmates, along with the men whose lives he saved to honor his bravery and sacrifice.

Among the wide-reaching efforts was an exhaustive study of Johnson and his story conducted by Arlington Middle School students who presented their research at Memorial Day ceremonies in Poughkeepsie in 2001.

In 2010, Arlington High School dedicated Johnson Hall and the Wall of Remembrance, honoring former students who perished while serving in the military. During that dedication ceremony, a statue was presented depicting Johnson’s bravery in battle, citing seven traits of character that helped to define Johnson: loyalty, selflessness, courage, compassion, responsibility, patriotism, and integrity.

Johnson is buried in Millbrook at Nine Partners Cemetery on Church Street.

history

Latest News

'Gather' at Troutbeck

'Gather' at Troutbeck

Romane Recalde speaking about her new business at Gather.

Natalia Zukerman

Hosted by Jason Klein and Sascha Lewis, an ongoing series called “Gather” at Troutbeck in Amenia brings together a curious crowd of local entrepreneurs, artists, and others with a story to tell for an intimate midday chat. On Thursday, Jan. 16, floral designer Romane Recalde, owner of the newly opened Le Jardin in Amenia, took center stage to share her journey from modeling in Miami to cultivating flowers in the Hudson Valley. Gather is a place to share stories, swap advice, and celebrate some of the unique businesses that make our area vibrant — all with a delicious lunch on the side. The gatherings are unconventional in the best way, with no agenda beyond good conversation and community building.

Recalde’s story isn’t just about creating a flower shop; it’s about a complete reinvention of self. “I hated Miami so much,” said the French-born Recalde, recalling her time in Florida before moving to New York. She worked as a model in New York, and eventually met her husband, James. Their pandemic escape to Turks and Caicos turned into a six-month stay, which in turn led them to Millbrook and finally to their home in Amenia, where Recalde’s connection to nature blossomed.

Keep ReadingShow less
community

Mad Rose opens ‘Assembled’ exhibition

Mad Rose opens ‘Assembled’ exhibition

Mad Rose Gallery’s “Assembled” exhibition opened Saturday, Jan. 18, with a public reception.

The eclectic exhibition — on view until March 2 at the gallery on the intersection of Routes 22 and 44 in Millerton — gathers together work from a group of diverse artists with decades of experience between them. The exhibition itself is true to the name, featuring photographs, sculptures, drawings and mixed media works in all shapes and sizes.

Keep ReadingShow less
exhibit

The fragile bonds of family: a review of Betsy Lerner’s 'Shred Sisters'

The fragile bonds of family: a review of Betsy Lerner’s 'Shred Sisters'

Betsy Lerner’s 'Shred Sisters' is written with such verve and poetic imagination that it’s hard to fathom how it could be the author’s first novel. Ms. Lerner, 64, has worked for three decades as a literary agent, editor, and non-fiction writer, but at some point during the Covid pandemic — without any forethought — she sat down and typed out the first line of the novel exactly as it now appears in the book, and then completed it without telling anyone what she was up to.

The novel takes place over twenty years — from the 1970s into the ’90s — and is a kind of guide for that era. It reads like a memoir accompanied by some bouncy dialogue, but is actually a work of what’s called autofiction in which Lerner mixes her own experiences — including her own struggle with mental illness — with things she simply makes up. The fictional narrator is Amy Shred, the younger of two sisters in an upper-middle-class, secular Jewish family living in the suburbs of New Haven, Connecticut.

Keep ReadingShow less
books

Lazy, hazy days of...winter?

Lazy, hazy days of...winter?

This small stream is fishable, despite the wintry conditions. It probably won't be a pleasant or productive experience, but it can be done.

Patrick L. Sullivan

When syndicated columnists run out of ideas they do one of two things.

First they collect the last couple year’s worth of columns and call it a book. These are published to great acclaim from other syndicated columnists and show up in due course in gigantic, ziggurat-shaped mounds at Costco for $4.98 a pop.

Keep ReadingShow less