On January 15, 1968, Dwight Johnson became a one-man army when the tank he was driving was taken out of action under intense enemy fire. He used up the ammunition of multiple small arms, killing several enemy troops and protecting his fellow soldiers. For his extraordinary actions, he received the prestigious Medal of Honor.
Born on May 7, 1947, Johnson grew up in public housing in Detroit, Michigan. Raised by a single mother alongside his younger brother, Johnson never got the chance to know his father. In the mid-to-late 1960s, he was drafted into the US Army, assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, and deployed to Vietnam.
Dwight Johnson’s efforts to save a stranded platoon in Vietnam
In mid-January 1968, shortly before the Tet Offensive started, the 69th Armor Regiment received urgent intelligence that a frontline infantry platoon was under heavy fire from a large force of North Vietnamese troops. Their frantic calls made it crystal clear—they needed immediate assistance.
Dwight Johnson jumped into his M48A3 Patton, fired up its powerful V12 engine, and sped through the dense jungle toward the besieged platoon. However, Vietnam’s treacherous terrain, notorious for limiting tank movement, took its toll. Upon reaching the platoon, the Patton he was driving threw a track, leaving it immobilized.
Though his role as a driver was finished, Johnson refused to let his fellow soldiers face the enemy alone. Armed with his .45-caliber sidearm, he left the relative safety of the tank and charged directly into the enemy lines, braving a storm of rocket and machine gun fire. Despite facing a well-trained and heavily armed force, Johnson managed to kill several North Vietnamese soldiers before exhausting his Colt .45’s ammunition.
Undeterred, Johnson returned to his tank to retrieve a submachine gun. As his citation reads, “Armed with this weapon, Specialist Johnson again braved deadly enemy fire to return to the center of the ambush site where he courageously eliminated more of the determined foe.”
Continuing to fight through a hail of bullets
The fighting became more and more intense until it reached hand-to-hand combat. Dwight Johnson, having killed more North Vietnamese with his submachine gun, once again ran out of ammunition and killed another with the butt of his weapon. Without any ammunition, he ran through the enemy’s bullets to the platoon sergeant’s tank, pulled out an injured crew member and carried him to an armored personnel carrier.
Although these actions were more than could be expected of a single man, Johnson was nowhere near done. He made his way back to the platoon sergeant’s tank, climbed inside and manned the main gun. He shelled the close-quarters battleground and operated the weapon until it jammed, after which he climbed out of the tank and ran back into the fray.
“In a magnificent display of courage, Specialist Johnson exited the tank and again armed only with a .45 caliber pistol, he engaged several North Vietnamese troops in close proximity to the vehicle,” continues his citation.
After mowing down more enemies, Johnson returned to his tank and, like a true hero, started raining fire with its roof-mounted .50-caliber machine gun. He remained in position until the fighting subsided. When the smoke cleared, the battlefield was littered with dead Vietnamese, many of whom were dispatched by Johnson in his frenzy.
Following the battle, he fought through the Tet Offensive and eventually returned home. For his incredibly selfless, brave and downright heroic actions, Johnson was awarded the Medal of Honor.
Dwight Johnson’s life ended in tragedy
Dwight Johnson’s life was filled with difficulties caused by his experiences in Vietnam. Given what troops witnessed, it’s unsurprising that most veterans had a hard time readjusting to civilian life. Johnson, himself, struggled with the shock of returning home, built up large debts and suffered from depression.
Things got a little better after he received the Medal of Honor. He worked for the Army as a recruiter and made appearances to improve public relations. However, mentally, Johnson was still fighting, and began missing meetings and appointments. He repeatedly reenacted the moment in Vietnam he wanted to forget the most, and the toll became too much. Shortly after, he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
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Johnson’s life ended on the night of April 29, 1971, when he walked into a local convenience store and attempted to rob it. The store owner shot him dead. He was described as mentally unstable due to the Vietnam War and his actions were a bi-product of the conflict. As a result, his widow received the military benefits she was owed.
Following his death, Johnson’s mother said, “Sometimes I wonder if Skip was tired of this life and needed someone else to pull the trigger.”