THE WALL OF FACES

Santa Maria Times, February 19, 1971

U.S. Army Spec. 5 William J. Johnson, 20, the son of Mrs. Aurora Johnson of 1616 W. Alvin, Apt. F, and Leo K. Johnson of Paramount, was killed in Vietnam Feb. 12 while serving as a helicopter crew chief. On his second tour of duty in Vietnam, Spec. 5 Johnson was struck by a helicopter rotor blade during a military mission. Born on January 23, 1951 in Los Angeles, Spec. 5 Johns entered the Army on Dec. 18, 1968 and was serving with 187th Assault Helicopter Company at the time of his death. He had been in service for two years and two months and was due to be discharged in December, 1971. Spec. 5 Johnson attended Fesler Junior High and Santa Maria High Schools, receiving his diploma during military service.
Survivors include two brothers, Kenny J. Johnson of Santa Maria and James D. Johnson who was just discharged from the Army after serving in Korea; maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. John S. Garcia of Huntington Park; paternal grandmother, Mrs. Gertrude Gray of Linwood; and paternal grandfather, James Johnson of Paramount.
The body is being flown to Los Angeles where a funeral service is pending.

On February 12, 1971, a U.S. Army helicopter AH-1G (tail number 66-15297) from the 187th Assault Helicopter Company was on a special mission in Cambodia, about 10 miles southeast of the Cambodian capital on the east side of the Mekong, shooting up a NVA/VC supply area along a tributary. On their second gun run the tail rotor was shot out by enemy ground fire. After briefly flying inverted (which the AH-1G Cobra wasn't designed to do), pilot 1LT Rodney Woods performed a near perfect autorotation and safely brought the helicopter down, its only damage being a broken left skid. The aircraft came to a rest very near to the enemy positions. The Command & Control helicopter on the mission landed and the front seat pilot/gunner of the downed Cobra, CAPT James G. Siddons, jumped from the aircraft and ran for the C&C ship. CAPT Siddons was struck by the still spinning rotor blades and was killed instantly. The crew chief of the C&C ship, SP5 William J. Johnson, jumped from his aircraft, and in an effort to retrieve the body of CAPT Siddons, was also hit by the still spinning rotor blade and was also killed. The downed Cobra was later “pipesmoked,” the call sign for field extractions of crashed and combat damaged aircraft. As a result of this incident, the Brigade came up with a standard operating procedure (SOP) that required flight crews to "sit" in their downed aircraft until the rotors stopped turning. [Taken from vhpa.org and 187ahc.net]

Dear SP5 William John Johnson, sir

As an American, I would like to thank you for your service and for your sacrifice made on behalf of our wonderful country. The youth of today could gain much by learning of heroes such as yourself, men and women whose courage and heart can never be questioned.

May God allow you to read this, and may He allow me to someday shake your hand when I get to Heaven to personally thank you. May he also allow my father to find you and shake your hand now to say thank you; for America, and for those who love you.

With respect, and the best salute a civilian can muster for you, Sir

Curt Carter

(Photo Credit: his cousin Diana Pack) Rest in peace with the warriors.

(Photo Credit: his cousin Diana Pack) Rest in peace with the warriors.