Biden to bestow Medal of Honor on late Korean War vet from Millbrook

MILLBROOK — “He was such a kind person, sincere and very well liked.”

So said Betty Thurst as she remembered Charles Robert Johnson, whom everybody called “Charlie.” Johnson was a classmate of Thurst’s at Arlington High School more than 70 years ago.

John Reed, who was Senior Class president all those years ago was in the same class with Thurst and Johson. He also remembers Charlie.

“He was quiet, but friendly,” said Reed. “He came to Arlington from Millbrook as a senior, because Arlington had a stronger sports program.”

Reed and others who attended Arlington High School in Poughkeepsie those seven or more decades ago also recall that while Johnson excelled in sports, he was also very musical.

The student from Millbrook was an excellent trumpet player, and even though he was a newcomer to the Arlington Central School District, he was well liked and elected vice-president of the Student Class. He served along side Reed and Thurst, who was secretary.

His popularity was especially notable at the time as Johnson was not like all of the other students at Arlington. He wasn’t white, he was Black, and therefore in the minority of the student population back then.

Much time has passed since then, but those who knew Johnson remember him positively and note he was more than just a nice and good person. He was special.

Sure, he excelled in both football and basketball, as well as in music. He even earned a partial scholarship to Howard University. When his partial scholarship ran out, Johnson joined the Army.

Many expected for Johnson to go far in life, to exceed expectations. He may have, but he never got the chance because Johnson died a hero at Outpost Harry, the Choran Valley in 1953, a casualty of the Korean War. It was on June 12, 1953, just two months shy of his 21st birthday. Johnson is buried in Millbrook.

He was a private first-class, in the 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division. His specialty was as a light weapons assault crewman.

What happened to Johnson was recounted many times over the years by a fellow soldier  who was with him that night, who was actually a classmate from Arlington, who only recently passed away. Donald Dingee said he and Johnson were in a foxhole when a grenade was thrown in, severely injuring Dingee’s foot. Johnson carried his comrade to safety.

Dingee said he told Johnson to stay with him, not to go back into the thick of the battle. But Johnson said there were other wounded soldiers who needed help, so he left, never to return. Records show Johnson went back to help others to safety; he died trying to protect eight wounded soldiers while holding off the enemy.

The people who knew Johnson never forget him or his heroic acts. Yet his country seemed to. He wasn't recognized until years later, when he was posthumously awarded several medals.

Although his brave actions saved lives he wasn’t honored for his valor until 2011, when he was awarded his first medal years after his death. His fellow soldiers said it was because he was Black.

That first honor was the Silver Star, followed by the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantry Badge and the Marksmanship Badge. He was also awarded the Korean Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and both the Republic of Korea Presidential Citation and the Republic of Korea Service Medal. He was also awarded the United Nations Service Medal, the Army Presidential Unit Citation and the Army Good Conduct Medal.

There were other honors as well. On Oct. 14, 2011, close to 1,000 people, including veterans, friends and family, paid tribute to Johnson at Arlington High School, when Brigadier Gen. Jeffrey Phillips posthumously awarded Johnson the Silver Star for gallantry in action against an enemy of the country.

Johnson’s story has been told by various media over many years. In a program presented at the National Memorial Day Concert, Johnson was played by actor Dennis Haysbert in Washington, D.C., in 2010.

A documentary made in 2011 tells of the battle that cost Johnson his life entitled, “Hold at All Cost.”

The Millbrook Village Board meeting minutes from July 13, 2010, mention residents John Kading and Alec Pandaleon suggesting the relocation of the Charles Johnson Memorial plaque to a site on Village Hall grounds.

Arlington High School has performed plays highlighting Johnson’s heroic actions. He is recognized annually on Veterans Day, too, when fresh flags are put on the graves of local veterans buried with him at Nine Partners Cemetery.

On Aug. 26, 2014, at Fort Stewart, Ga., which is the largest U.S. military installation east of the Mississippi River, a fitness center dedicated to Johnson  says it “will serve as a testament to the battlefield heroics of an Arlington High School graduate and Korean War hero.” It is named the Pfc. Charles R. Johnson Fitness Center.

So while Johnson has not been forgotten nor his heroism gone unrecognized, it has taken years for this country to bestow the honors and medals due him, many believe due to the color of his skin and the racial tensions of the time.

For years many have fought to get Johnson the nation’s highest honor: the Medal of Honor. It was long denied due to the statute of limitations that states the medal must be given within five years of the heroic act.

To right that injustice, U.S. Rep. Antonio Delgado (D-NY-19) introduced legislation in Congress last year to let Johnson to finally receive the honor.

On New Year’s Eve, Friday, Jan. 31, Delgado announced his pursuit for justice in Johnson's name had finally succeeded.

“My legislation making Johnson eligible to receive the medal beyond the five-year time limit passed the House, Senate and was signed into law by the President as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022,” he stated in his weekly email recap to his constituents, calling it “an injustice that has taken almost 70 years to correct.”

Former U.S. Rep. Chris Gibson began the Pentagon review of Johnson’s case, which Delgado continued. The congressman secured a promise from Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin that he would ask President Biden to recommend Johnson for the medal. The president did so last week, a special holiday present just for the late Harlem Valley vet, it seems.

That means Charlie Johnson will be bestowed the Medal of Honor and the world can finally recognize him for the hero his friends and family in Millbrook have always known him to be.