Charles Leo Johnson was born to Herbert and Adele Johnson August 23, 1943, the third child and second son. 
He was known through most of his life as "Charley" He attended St. John's Grade School and Columbus High School, graduating from Columbus High in 1961. After High School he attended St. Norbert College, graduating in January 1966 with a Bachelor of Science, Business Administration. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army at the same time. He died June 23, 1967 as a result of wounds sustained in battle outside of Chu Chi, South Vietnam and was buried in Gate of Heaven Cemetery, July, 2, 1967. 
It was said of Charley that he took after his father, tallish and heavier set, he had much the same outgoing personality and easy going outlook. His distinctive walk - the same as his father's, earned him the nickname of"Bear". His childhood was quite normal, playing with friends, and occasionally getting into mischief. More than once he was chased out of "Mama" Laird's apple tree. On the family's summer home, a farm in the town of McMillian, he worked for the neighbors during harvest seasons as well as landscaping the farm which expanded the lawn to over 2 acres, pulling stumps, filling low spots and a lot of mowing. He helped his father and older brother plant a row of trees, now mature white and red pines and cedars still standing. At age eight, Charley became involved in scouting, as a Cub and later a Boy Scout in Troop 85 of St. John's. At age 14 he was earned scouting's highest award, the rank of Eagle Scout. He remained in scouts to the age of 18, as a Senior Patrol Leader and later Jr. Assistantn Scoutmaster, attending the national Scout Jamboree at Valley Forge in the summer of 1957 and taking the Canadian Canoe trip in 1959. During high school Charley worked summers at the Marshfield Canning Company and during the school year at La Dot shoes. One of his pride possessions as he went off to college was a pair of Allen-Edmond shoes. 
He chose St. Norbert College because its reputation as a business school and because of ROTC, he felt that since he faced the draft, the opportunities offered by Army leadership would serve he better in a business career. At St. Norbert he joined SDG fraternity, becoming it's pledge master. During college, Charlie continued his summer work at the Marshfield Canning Co. He sustained several minor injuries. In one case he scraped his leg - falling OUT of a hole. Another time, he dropped a 10 pound gallon can of peas on his foot, bruising his toe. The toe swelled and made wearing shoes uncomfortable. Wanting to keep him working, the plant owner, Rudy Binzel gave Charlie his sandals, which resulted in Charlie's first case of athlete's foot. Another mishap occurred when Charlie was driving a load of boxes with a fork lift. Backing carefully over a rise in the floor, the load shifted slightly forward, lifting the back of the truck and spilling the top of the load, sending boxes and cans all over the floor. At the time all of the women who worked in the plant as well as all of the plant managers were gathered just inside the door where the mishap occurred. Rudy, the plant owner remarked that while Charlie was a good worker and mishaps didn't happen often, they always seemed to happen in a very public way. Unusual occurrences seemed to happen to Charlie on a regular basis. On he way to work in Green Bay his last year in college, he decided to take the slightly longer, but more scenic route up the east side of Green Bay and cross over the Fox River at Mason St. Just as he got on the bridge, the gates lowered and the bridge raise to allow a German motor ship through. On it's was through it hit the bridge knocking it out of commission. The traffic back-up took several hours to clear up and Charlie, in the third car from the front was one of the last off. His boss commented that it had to be a legitimate excuse since that kind of thing seemed to happen only to Charlie. 
As a service branch, Charlie chose Armor and was assigned for training at Fort Knox KY. While in training Charlie had the opportunity to drive tanks. Just after an unusually heavy rainstorm Charlie found, by accident, the one place where the water didn't drain well and attempted to push his 50 ton tank through it. The result was to bury the tank up to the top of it's treads. He claimed that this instructors appreciated it since it allowed them to demonstrate to the class how one gets a 50 ton tank out of the mud. After completing Armor Office Basic, he was assigned as executive officer of a motivational basic training company. Charlie told the story of his first assignment. He and another 2nd Lieutenant showed up to the company. They were the only officers in the company which normally would have had six to eight. The cadre was composed of sergeants or "zebra farm" as they were known. 
Comparing dates of commissioning, it was determined that Charlie was junior (by only several days) and he was the Executive Officer. His first task was to brief the cadre. He sent his fatigue uniforms for extra starching, he polished his boots, helmet, even the back of his clip board. On the appointed day he marched stiffly into the company room, the cadre came briskly to attention. The marched to the front of the room, turned with a well executed "about face", casting as sharp an eye as possible about the room he met the assembled gaze. Then, in his best imitation of an adolescent voice cracking he squeaked out "MEN!!!" The sergeants all cracked up and Charlie instantly established a rapport with the group. 
While in college as well as his time in service he gained a reputation in the family for his letters. On letter written while in college to his sister Barb, recounted a disastrous date to one of the major social events. The details included his date becoming intoxicated, his having to ferry dates of is frat brothers home, running out of gas, a flat tire and so on. His last line was "and people wonder why I don't date much." The letters to his parents from Vietnam can be characterized as optimistic and impatient to come home, however letters to Barb indicated more fear, but with humor. One letter wondered if he could get a purple heart for two injuries, a burn on the hand after he grabbed the hot barrel of his "track's" machine gun boosting himself into the top, the other being brushed off the top by a low hanging tree. Another letter wondered about what to do with 5 tons of captured rice. (Barb and Paul sent back a recipe for 10 tons of Chop Suey) Another letter was addressed to his brother Paul. He was replying to a parchment like scroll done in calligraphy to "appear at the nuptials" He replied that Paul should check his social life because some "crazy Irish lady was sending out wedding invites with his name on it" but he would reply in the affirmative to "lull her into a sense of security.' and come up on the appointed day to "see what the U.S. Army could do about the situation With a year left on this basic service commitment, he was re-assigned as a Cavalry Troop leader with the 3/4 Cavalry Regiment of the 25th division stationed in Korea. However about a week after his assignment, and about a month before his report date, the whole division was shifted to Vietnam. While Charlie did not want to go to Vietnam, he did accept the assignment, and after jungle training in Panama joined his unit in Vietnam. He was in country for about six weeks when returning from a routine search and destroy mission, his unit, mounted in armor personnel carriers, was attacked. He was in the lead vehicle which took an antitank rocket and he sustained some slight shrapnel wounds. He pulled his wounded radio operator from the disabled vehicle, directed his men into attacking a larger force ofNorth Vietnamese infantry and called for both medical evacuation and fire support. While moving towards his men, he was hit in the head by a large piece of grenade shrapnel. He was evacuated directly to Saigon where he died the next day without ever regaining consciousness. His remains were accompanied back to Marshfield for burial by a Marine sergeant - unusual since the custom is to assign men of equal rank and same branch as escort, however the Marine was a cousin, James Grancorvitz, himself a Vietnam Vet. One of the mourners at the Cemetery was Congressman Melvin R. Laird who had gained a reputation as a"hawk" on Vietnam. Within months, Mr. Laird's position appeared to have changed and he was responsible for writing the "peace plank" of the 1968 republican platform and as Secretary of Defense initiated the reduction of U.S. forces in Vietnam as well as the all-volunteer army. Did Charlie's death contribute to a change in the policy of the United States because of it's effect on a powerful member of congress who had the war brought home in a very personal way, it is possible - but not worth it!