Something to be thankful about

Soldier recovering from ambush in Afghanistan is home for Thanksgiving

By CONSTANCE SEE / Whitefish Pilot

The Whitefish parents of a soldier injured in Afghanistan are relieved and ecstatic their son can be home for Thanksgiving this year.

U.S. Army Sgt. Mike Johnson is recovering from three gunshot wounds he received in an ambush near Aranus, Afghanistan, on Friday, Nov. 9.

His parents, David and Shirley Johnson of Whitefish, are just thankful he's alive — six of the soldiers with Johnson were killed and more than a dozen were injured.

Johnson, 26, is a member of the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, based in Vicenza, Italy. He was on his final tour in Afghanistan before heading to Montana for an 18-day leave and Thanksgiving reunion with his family. Johnson and his father had a hunting trip planned as well.

Just before he was scheduled to leave Afghanistan, Johnson volunteered to go on patrol with a squad that was short three soldiers. They met with local elders, spent the night and were en route back to their post when they were ambushed in a narrow part of a valley.

David and Shirley Johnson got the call from their son's commander early Saturday morning, alerting them that he was involved in an attack and was recovering at a hospital in Germany. One bullet had chipped a bone in his left wrist, a second bullet went straight through his left leg, and shrapnel remains in his right leg.

The attack has since been described as a "rocket-propelled grenade attack by militants" in the eastern mountains of Afghanistan.

"We were told Mike was trying to set up a perimeter after they were ambushed, but it was chaos," David said. "He was grabbing people and throwing them to the ground, trying to get them undercover, until he slid down a mountainside and was stuck in a crevice."

One of Johnson's friends died in the attack.

"That's really hard on him," David said. "He'll tell you he was just doing his job, but to us, Mike's a hero. We both just hugged each other with a cry of happiness that he was alive."

David and Shirley understand what it means to be a military family. David's father and brother served in the military, and Mike lost a step-brother in Iraq.

"It's tough," Shirley said. "We worry. I worry about getting the phone call or, worse, the knock on the door. We don't have to like (the war) to be proud of everybody over there fighting."

David said their son has always wanted to join the military and serve his country. He tried his hand as a mechanic for a few years, but in February 2004, he followed his heart and signed up with the Army. David said his son's long-term goal is to become an Army Ranger.

"Mike believes they're doing a lot of good in Afghanistan," David said. "The Afghanistan people think our military are heroes, at least the people he's met in the smaller cities. It wouldn't surprise me if Mike made a career out of the military. He loves it."

Johnson was released on a 30-day convalescent leave. He flew into Kalispell on Sunday. His wife Patti and their son and daughter joined in the family reunion.

"We're very excited he's home," Patti said.

This has been the deadliest year for U.S. troops since the war's inception in 2001, according to Department of Defense casualty statistics.

First Lt. Matthew Ferrara, 24, of Torrance, Calif. died in the attack last week. Ferrara, the nephew of the New Zealand Defense Minister was the first New Zealander to die in the war.

Also killed in the attack were: Sgt. Jeffery S. Mersman, 23, of Parker, Kan.; Spc. Sean K.A. Langevin, 23, of Walnut Creek, Calif.; Spc. Lester G. Roque, 23, of Torrance, Calif.; Pfc. Joseph M. Lancour, 21, of Swartz Creek, Mich.; and Marine Sgt. Phillip A. Bocks, 28, of Troy, Mich.