Remembering:
LCpl Stephen F. Johnson, USMC
Marietta, Georgia
10 August 1986 - 6 October 2006
"Alive In Christ."
{Following is an essay Stephen Johnson wrote
in the 9th grade on the subject of PATRIOTISM.}
Stephen Johnson
Wells
9th Lit/Comp
2/23/03
PATRIOTISM
The day was September 11th around nine o'clock in the morning. I was in my first period class and starting to fall asleep. Before I could rest my head on my desk I was suddenly interrupted by the administrator speaking on the intercom. She told us to turn our televisions to CNN. I decided to stay awake and see what the big deal was. My entire class sat in dismay as we watched the terrifying scene unfold. the first World Trade Center was engulfed in flames. At that time no one knew what had happened to cause this massive fire. Then it happened, a plane had just flown right into the second tower. Everyone knew then that this was not an accident. My whole class was in shock and looking like that had just seen a ghost. No one said a word.
This was the day that no one would forget.
Most people believe in their patriotism towards our country.
To me, this has to be one of the greatest laws of life.
I believe if an American does not have patriotism towards our country
they should not be living here.
If you feel good about living here and glad to be an American
you should have patriotism towards your country.
This is the part I don't understand.
Most people flew little flags on their cars and flew American flags at their homes after September 11th to show their patriotism.
I want to know why they didn't fly them before September 11th
to show their pride in their country.
Did we need a major attack on our country to make
Americans show their patriotism?
What really hurt me the most was when they took their flags down
after about a month or two.
Did they forget about the attacks
or
did they feel like they had shown it for too long?
I believe if you have patriotism towards your country,
you should feel good to fly your flags on your cars every day
to show your love for your country.
Another thing that discouraged me was the protesters
that were against the war in our own country.
I looked at them in disbelief.
They were against the war in Iraq.
I believe they do not have patriotism for our country.
If we do not go to war we could and probably would be attacked again.
Do these people want another attack on their
country where their lives could be at stake?
They should have pride for their country and show that we are not afraid
of Iraq and of Saddam Husseim.
If I was eighteen I would enlist in the Marines
to help prevent our country from being threatened again.
If our country does not take control of the terrorist problems,
it will happen to us again.
I believe patriotism is one of the most important laws of life.
I hope that every American would feel this way.
If our country does not show patriotism for ourselves
then how can we feel good for ourselves?
Patriotism should be at the top of our list on our laws of life.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On October 6th, 2006, Cpl Brad Payne, LCpl John Hale
and LCpl Stephen F. Johnson, all USMC, were in the humvee together
and all three died together that day.
Stephen was the SAWgunner in the turret on top of the humvee.
However, being on top, Stephen was blown
into the river along side which they were riding.
The dive teams found him ten football fields down river on
Sunday, 8 October, 2006, hence the date they declared him dead.
{but he died together with his comrades on the 6th}
FOLLOWING is the letter Stephen left to his family:
in the event......
Pre-Deployment Leave, June 2006
Family, What's up? You're reading this cause I'm not coming back from Iraq.
I signed into the Marines because I felt I had a job to do,
more or less a duty that I felt I needed to do for our country.
After September 11th, I felt I needed to go to war to protect our country
but more importantly, for my family and friends.
It's a dangerous thing to go into war and fight for something that is 8,000 miles away.
But I felt it was something I needed to do.
I choose not to further my education by going to college or getting a good-paying job,
but I felt that it was more important to risk my life in defending the country
that I love so much.
You must always remember the boys that have died for our country.
Old men start the wars but teenagers fight them.
Always remember that.
The average Marine is 19 years old, right out of high school.
Never forget us and the sacrifices that we have made to sustain
our great amount of liberty.
We have given being away from home for a great amount of time,
not seeing our family and friends,
and giving up our own liberties.
We, as Marines, know what we have to do for our country and to keep it safe.
We know the cost of war and that Marines will die in combat.
We are trained very well but are not invincible.
All I ask is that you NOT forget me and my fellow Marines.
When you think every now and then about your freedom,
know that Marines and other military branches
are there to protect that from anyone else trying to take it away.
This is the greatest country on the planet Earth
and I'll be damned before I let any terrorist take
it [America] away from my familiy or friends.
I did not think about myself when I signed into the Marines.
I was thinking about my friends and family and their freedoms.
If it takes my life to protect them then that's what I have to do.
People make sacrifices all the time,
but it is the ones that make that ultimate sacrifice
for their country that are the most honorable.
It is the selflessness that makes a US Marine great.
Do not forget your fallen Marines.
I love all you so much.
You all know why I did this and why I made the choice.
I wanted to keep my country free from terrorists and to help keep ya'll safe.
If it took my life to protect anyone's life in the family then I would do it.
If anyone's life was to be taken I would have stepped in and
substituted mine for theirs.
It is an ultimate sacrifice that I was willing to make and I made it.
I was destined to do this and do not regret any part of it.
All I wanted was for ya'll to be safe..... and to live a carefree life without any worries of terrorists in the community.
I may have not showed it all the time, but I love all you so much.
I'm going to miss all you so much but will see all of you again in time.
I am looking down from Heaven... so be good! Hahaha.
By the way ... Mom ... remember when I was on pre-deployment leave at Mur's....
that's why I was always on the computer... I was writing this.
But, I don't want any of ya'll to grieve over me but be happy because
your son gave his life for his country that he loved so very much.
Mom, Dad, Philip, Eliza, Olivia, Mark, David, little Benjamin, and little Joanna....
I love all you so much!!!!!
All of you meant the world to me.
All I ask is to tell our story of us in battle fighting for our country...
and that we did not die for nothing.
REMEMBER us.
Love ya'll.......
P.S.
It is not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country. JFK
LCpl Johnson
2/8 Golf Company, 2nd Platoon.
Back to
This site has several types of the Psalm 91
bandanas. and more.....
Check out the quilt site -for ways to help this effort
ALL branches of the service
PLEASE contact this group
given freely to a direct family member
This group makes afghans for ALL fallen heroes
PLEASE contact this group
given freely to a direct family member
They would much appreciate anyone who would like to
make some quilt squares.
making quilts for the families of our fallen heroes
HOBQP does not distinguish between any of the services
we have awarded quilts to every service
given freely to a direct family member
PLEASE click link and let them pay their respects to you
and your fallen hero.
Wooden Scrollsawn portraits (for direct family members)
made and given freely to the family members of a soldier.
Please check this site - and contact this group.
Click here to sign a Memorial book honoring OUR HEROES
On the FALLEN HEROES MEMORIAL SITE
Stephen wore a Psalm 91 bandana under his kevlar helmet
every time when he went outside the wire.
The bandana has the whole Psalm 91 printed on it.
Stephen's faith was not in the square of fabric under his helmet,
but in the Author of the Psalm.
The following was read Pastor David Watson
at Stephen's service.
"We sleep safe in our beds because rough men
stand ready in the night to visit violence
on those who would do us harm."
THANK YOU
STEPHEN F JOHNSON,
USMC
for your selfless service and ultimate sacrifice.
May we as a nation REMEMBER him and all our fallen heroes.
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'The Call' by Ray Boltz
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'I can Only Imagine' by MERCY ME
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