CONGRESSMAN PAT RYAN FIGHTS TO AWARD MEDAL OF HONOR TO FALLEN KOREAN WAR HERO
Congressman Pat Ryan Fights to Award Medal of Honor to Fallen Korean War Hero
Ryan sent a letter to President Biden, urging him to upgrade Millbrook native and Arlington High School Grad PFC Charles Johnson’s Silver Star to the Medal of Honor
PFC Johnson was killed in action June 12, 1953 on the frontlines in South Korea, his actions are credited with saving at least eight other American soldiers
LAGRANGEVILLE, NY – Congressman Pat Ryan escalated his push to have fallen Korean War hero and Arlington High School graduate Private First Class (PFC) Charles Johnson’s Silver Star upgraded to the Medal of Honor. On June 11, 1953, PFC Johnson and his fellow soldiers came under heavy fire while serving near the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea. PFC Johnson was severely injured but disregarded his own condition to attend to the wounds of his comrades. Surrounded and without ammunition, PFC Johnson left the relative safety of his trench that he and his group were taking cover in to find weapons and single-handedly hold off the enemy front. PFC Johnson’s self-sacrificing actions allowed reinforcements to rescue his fellow soldiers and are credited with saving at least eight American lives. While PFC Johnson’s actions warrant the Medal of Honor, he received no military awards until 2011 when he was awarded the Silver Star, the third-highest military award for gallantry in combat. Congressman Ryan sent a letter to President Biden, calling for the upgrade to be awarded immediately. Ryan also joined the Arlington High School community for a ceremony and lunch honoring PFC Johnson.
“PFC Johnson is an absolute American hero - allowing another day to go by without awarding him the Medal of Honor that he deserves is flat out wrong,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “His actions of profound bravery were derived from a life firmly grounded in service to his country and his Millbrook community, as well as an unwavering commitment and sense of duty to his brothers in uniform. His life merits an elevated place in American history - for his family, for his community, and for every American who can draw inspiration from his selfless sacrifice.”
In his letter to President Biden, Congressman Ryan called for the immediate upgrade, noting that PFC Johnson has long been denied the proper recognition for his heroic actions and the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (FY22 NDAA) included a provision to waive the standard five-year limit on awarding the Medal of Honor in PFC Johnson’s case. Despite the FY22 NDAA being signed into law and Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin recommending that PFC Johnson be awarded the Medal of Honor immediately, no action has since been taken to execute the provision.
PFC Johnson was a 1951 graduate of Arlington High School, where he was class vice president and a standout athlete before he joined the U.S. Army. Ryan visited Arlington High School’s Johnson Hall and Wall of Remembrance that are dedicated to PFC Johnson’s memory. Ryan also joined with the Millbrook and Arlington High School communities for a ceremony and lunch to honor the fallen hero.
Congressman Ryan is the first West Point graduate to represent the Military Academy in Congress. He served two combat tours in Iraq as an Army intelligence officer and has long fought to deliver the recognition and benefits that veterans, servicemembers, and military families deserve. Earlier this year, he secured replacement military medals for Vietnam veteran Sergeant Stephen Cole who had lost his original medals, and hand-delivered them in a ceremony.
A copy of Congressman Pat Ryan’s letter can be found below:
Dear President Biden,
I am writing to you today with an urgent and pressing matter. I urge you to award the Medal of Honor to Private First Class (PFC) Charles R. Johnson, a hero of the Korean War, without delay. PFC Johnson was awarded the Silver Star posthumously in 2011 for his heroic actions. However, his actions deserve an upgrade to the Medal of Honor. Section 582(a) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (S. 1605) includes a waiver for PFC Johnson to receive the Medal of Honor beyond the statutory five-year limit. Despite Secretary Austin formally recommending PFC Johnson for this award, no progress has been made in over two years.
A native of Millbrook, New York, PFC Johnson’s sacrifice has continued to impact his community. In 2010, Arlington High School, PFC Johnson’s alma mater, dedicated Johnson Hall in his memory and created a Wall of Remembrance. This wall honors Arlington alumni who paid the ultimate sacrifice during military service. His life and death continue to inspire thousands of Arlington students every year.
PFC Johnson was killed in action on June 12, 1953, while defending Outpost Harry–a small but strategically important hill in the Choran Valley, about 60 miles north of Seoul, South Korea. During the night and early morning of 11 and 12 June 1953, against overwhelming odds during an attack on his element's position, Private First Class Johnson acted with complete disregard for his personal safety to ensure the safety of his fellow soldiers. Ignoring his own injuries, he treated several wounded comrades, dragging one soldier through the trenches while under direct artillery, mortar, and small arms fire to a secure bunker, stopping only to clear the path of enemy soldiers in close combat operations. Ignoring the proximity of the opposing force, he left the bunker to assess the situation and secure weapons and ammunition. He displayed true heroism and gallantry in action by departing his fighting position in order to place himself between his comrades and the enemy, thereby creating the conditions for their successful rescue. He is credited for saving the lives of at least eight men that night.
For the past 70 years, PFC Johnson’s family and community have longed for proper recognition of his heroic actions. Given the age of PFC Johnson’s last remaining sibling, it is of the utmost importance that you utilize the power vested in you by Congress to award the Medal of Honor to PFC Johnson promptly.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter, and I look forward to working together to give PFC Johnson the recognition he deserves.
Sincerely,
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