lest we forget

JOHNSON, DENNY LEE

Rank / Branch:

  • LANCE COPORAL, U.S. MARINE CORP

Date Of Birth:

  • 1944-09-28

Country Of Loss:

  • SOUTH VIETNAM

Status:

  • BODY RETURNED

Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground:​

  • GROUND

Other:

  • MARRIED

Unit:

  • THIRD MARINES

Date Of Loss:

  • 1967-05-08

Loss Coordinates:

  • QUANG TRI

Catagory:

  • HOSTILE SMALL ARMS FIRE

Awards & Decorations:

  • SEE BIO

VETERAN HAGI0GRAPHY

  • JOHNSON, DENNY LEE, LANCE CORPORAL, U.S. MARINE CORP, ODESSA, ECTOR, TEXAS

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

  • BRONZE STAR WITH V DEVICE, PURPLE HEART WITH GOLD STAR (2 AWARDS), NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL, VIETNAM SERVICE MEDAL, VIETNAM MILITARY MERIT MEDAL, VIETNAM CROSS OF GALLANTRY WITH PALM, MARINE CORP COMBAT ACTION RIBBON, VIETNAM CAMPAIGN MEDAL

BIOGRAPHY

  • Denny was born in Trenton, Texas, the third of five children, four boys and one girl, to Vergilene Hembre and Alvin Dennis Johnson. The family moved to Weinert in North Haskell County, when Denny was six years old. He was known as "Dinky" to the family. He was always tall and skinny for his age. His sister indicated he like to go barefooted, and he could do as many things as possible with his toes than most people could with their fingers. He attended Weinert schools from the first grade through high school. He worked on the family farm, and he would plow with no shoes on. While in high school, he was in the junior and senior plays, played sophomore basketball and was elected as a senior class favorite. He graduated from Weinert High School, Class of 62.
  • After high school he worked at the Weinert Gin Company and also for an Elevator Company. He also drove a U.S. Mail truck. He married Mary Alice Collins of Knox City in 1963 but the marriage failed, and they were separated, and he was in the process of getting a divorce when he was called up for selective service February 28, 1966.
  • His sister indicated that while Dink was in Abilene at the processing center, he volunteered to go into the Marine Corp. At the time he was 6 feet, 6 inches tall and weighed about 120#. His sister stated it took a while for him to get through recruit training because he was so skinny, and the Marines wanted him to gain weight. He completed his recruit training at the Marine Corp Recruit Training Depot at San Diego, California and then completed ITR at Camp Pendleton, California and did additional training before departing for Vietnam in September 1966.
  • In Vietnam, he was assigned as a rifleman with D Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, 3rd Marine Division. He was wounded on two previous occasions, on March 21 and April 18, 1967, and was decorated for saving his squad leader. On May 8, 1967, his unit was involved in bitter fighting near Con Thien, near the DMZ in Quang Tri Province. He was one of 37 men killed from the 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment that day, 19 of which were from his company. He died from gunshot wound to his buttocks, left shoulder, his face and right knee.
  • At the time of his death, his wife was living in Odessa.
  • His funeral was held at the new First Baptist Church in Wienert and his sister indicated that there were close to 300 people at the funeral. She stated the church held about 200 and there was standing room only. He was buried with full military honors in the Weinert Cemetery in Weinert, Texas. His parents are now deceased. He is survived by his former wife and is also survived by his brother Alvin David (Buddy) Johnson of Lubbock, his sister, Vergi Lee Felton, brother Charles Allen Johnson of Holly, Texas and Roy Gene Johnson of Oklahoma.
  • WEINERT HIGH SCHOOL, CLASS OF 1962
  • ITR, CAMP PENDLETON, 1966
  • WEINERT CEMETERY, WEINERT, TEXAS