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Service Details |
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Current Service Status
USN Retired
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Current/Last Rank
Lieutenant
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Current/Last Primary NEC
619X-Limited Duty Officer - Surface Communications
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Current/Last Rating/NEC Group
Limited Duty Officer
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Primary Unit
1990-1991, 619X, USS Independence (CV-62)
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Previously Held NEC
RM-0000-Radioman
RM-2305-Satellite Communications Operator (AN/MSC-46-AN/TSC-54)
RM-2342-Teletype Repairman
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Service Years
1969 - 1992
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| Official/Unofficial US Navy Certificates
Operation Desert Storm
Cold War
Gulf of Tonkin Yacht Club
Order of the Shellback
Persian Excursion
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1983, United States Naval Institute
- Assoc. Page
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1992, American Legion, Post 182 (Member) (Suisun City, California)
- Chap. Page
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1992, Military Officers Association of America (MOAA)
- Assoc. Page
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1994, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Post 2333, Simmons-Sheldon Post (Member) (Suisun City, California)
- Chap. Page
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2006, American Veterans (AMVETS), Post 1776 (Member) (Independence, Oregon)
- Chap. Page
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2010, United States Navy Radioman Association (USNRMA)
- Assoc. Page
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What are you doing now:
I had pastored a small rural non-denominational Christian church in Oregon for six years.
I am newly married to a beautiful Christian woman.
I have four daughters and nine grandchildren (eight surviving).
Some of the things that I am doing in this latter part of my life
* a writer and professional speaker
* published five books, 2 Christian inspirational and 3 Navy books
After retiring from the Navy in January 1992, I worked as an information technology consultant for 12 years. It was at that time that I decided to turn my life in another direction. The Lord brought me to where I am today. God called me to pastor a church.
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Other Comments:
The titles to each of my books are:
Christian Books
Faith, Family, Friends
Am I A Good Daddy? Becoming A Family Man
Navy Books
It Wasn't Just a Job; It Was An Adventure
American Sailor: More Adventures To Go With the Job
American Sailors and United States Marines at War and Peace: Navy Sea Stories and Marine Corps Legacies
You can view them at http://www.iuniverse.com and go to the bookstore and do a search on author - Donald Johnson -- and they will all come up.
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1970-1971, RM-0000, USS Guadalupe (AO-32)
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1971-1971, RM-0000, USS Passumpsic (AO-107)
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1971-1973, RM-2305, Naval Communications Station (NAVCOMSTA) Finegayan, Guam
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1973-1976, Break in Service
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1976-1979, RM-2342, USS Peoria (LST-1183)
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1979-1982, RM-2342, NAVCAMS EASTPAC
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1982-1984, 619X, Naval Security Group Activity (NSGA) Adak, AK
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1984-1987, 619X, USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3)
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1987-1990, 619X, NTCC Mare Island, CA
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1990-1991, 619X, USS Independence (CV-62)
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- Thompson, Vernon, S1c, (1943-1947)
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Reflections on LT Johnson's
US Navy Service
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PLEASE DESCRIBE WHO OR WHAT INFLUENCED YOUR DECISION TO JOIN THE NAVY.
My father, all of his brothers and his father served in the military. My mother's three brothers served. She also had a great grandfather who served in the Union Army during the Civil War.
I wanted to continue the tradition. I decided on the Navy because I had three uncles who served in the Navy either during World War II or the Korean War and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to their stories.
The stories were a big influence on my decision to join the Navy.
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WHETHER YOU WERE IN THE SERVICE FOR SEVERAL YEARS OR AS A CAREER, PLEASE DESCRIBE THE DIRECTION OR PATH YOU TOOK. WHERE DID YOU GO TO BOOT CAMP AND WHAT UNITS, BASES, SHIPS OR SQUADRONS WERE YOU ASSIGNED TO? WHAT WAS YOUR REASON FOR LEAVING?
My Navy career started as an E-1 or Seaman Recruit in recruit training at Great Lakes, Illinois. I was set back two weeks in recruit training because I purposely failed a test because I did not want to be a part of a recruit company where the company commander abused his recruits.
I went as far as an E-6 or Radioman First Class before I was commissioned as a limited duty officer in communications designator 619X.
I retired after 22 years as a full Lieutenant.
I served on five different ships and four shore facilities.
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IF YOU PARTICIPATED IN ANY MILITARY OPERATIONS, INCLUDING COMBAT, HUMANITARIAN AND PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS, PLEASE DESCRIBE THOSE WHICH MADE A LASTING IMPACT ON YOU AND, IF LIFE-CHANGING, IN WHAT WAY?
I was never on a ship where I served in combat. Off the coast of Vietnam in 1970, the fleet oiler, USS Guadalupe (AO-32) supported the war effort in a non-combat role refueling ships. We did pull into Danang once to offload an injured sailor and anchored in Vung Tau harbor three times and off Anthoi Island once.
In 1990, the USS Independence Aircraft Carrier Battle Group was ordered north from the Diego Garcia area to the Gulf of Oman to launch a combat air patrol over northern Saudi Arabia. Intel reports indicated that Saddam Hussein was planning on attacking and taking over the oil fields in northern Saudi Arabia once he had secured Kuwait. We did enter the Persian Gulf in October 1990 to be the first carrier to do so since the 1960s.
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OF ALL YOUR DUTY STATIONS OR ASSIGNMENTS, WHICH ONE DO YOU HAVE FONDEST MEMORIES OF AND WHY? WHICH WAS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE?
I have three duty stations that elicit fond memories.
The first was Naval Communications Station (CAMS) Guam. That was the first duty station after becoming married. Our first child, Kimberly, was born there. I had my own watch section at the Satellite Communications site of both RMs and ETs. I played intramural sports and stayed in shape. We also played ping pong off the 40 foot satellite antenna dish during downtime for maintenance normally on a midwatch. Loved it.
The Peoria was the next duty station that I have a lot of fond memories. I reported on board and was automatically made the LPO of the radio shack. Wow! What an experience that was. The Peoria changed my character and taught me leadership skills that I would use later during my career as an officer.
Naval Communications Area Master Station, Wahiawa, Hawaii was the next duty station that really helped mode me into the officer I was to become.
My enlisted years were my most favorite. As an officer, being officer in charge of Naval Telecommunications Center at Mare Island Naval Shipyard was my favorite.
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FROM YOUR ENTIRE MILITARY SERVICE, DESCRIBE ANY MEMORIES YOU STILL REFLECT BACK ON TO THIS DAY.
My commissioning ceremony on June 1st, 1982 was the one memory that stands out most. I asked James J. Forrestal III to commission me. He had been the operations officer on the Guadalupe when I was a brand new sailor just out of Radioman school. He was related to the World War II Secretary of the Navy and the first Secretary of Defense, James V. Forrestal. It was a special event in my life.
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WHAT PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF FROM YOUR MILITARY CAREER?
None were for valor. The only major medal I earned was the Navy Marine Corps Commendation Medal that I received after our stint in the Gulf in 1990.
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OF ALL THE MEDALS, AWARDS, FORMAL PRESENTATIONS AND QUALIFICATION BADGES YOU RECEIVED, OR OTHER MEMORABILIA, WHICH ONE IS THE MOST MEANINGFUL TO YOU AND WHY?
The Vietnam Campaign and Southwest Asia Service medals combined with the Navy Marine Corps Commendation Medal are the most meaningful to me because of how and where they were earned.
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WHICH INDIVIDUAL(S) FROM YOUR TIME IN THE MILITARY STAND OUT AS HAVING THE MOST POSITIVE IMPACT ON YOU AND WHY?
There were at least two Chief Petty Officers and one Commander who had the biggest impact on me.
The first chief was Forrest Hall on the Guadalupe. He had enough confidence in me to make me an underway watch supervisor as an E-3.
The second chief was Andrew L. "Al" Crozier on the Peoria. He placed me in charge of the radio shack and told me to run it the way I saw fit and if I needed any help or advice to come and get him from the Goat Locker.
The Commander was James J Forrestal III. When he was a Lieutenant on the Guadalupe and the ops boss, he made the most impact on me because of his excellent leadership. .
The Guadalupe and later the Peoria were the two ships that shaped my Navy career.
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CAN YOU RECOUNT A PARTICULAR INCIDENT FROM YOUR SERVICE, WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FUNNY AT THE TIME, BUT STILL MAKES YOU LAUGH?
The first and probably the most funny incident was also on the Guadalupe when Chief Hall sent me down to General Storekeeping (GSK) to pick up a fallopian tube for the AN/SGC-1A.
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WHAT PROFESSION DID YOU FOLLOW AFTER YOUR MILITARY SERVICE AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW? IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY SERVING, WHAT IS YOUR PRESENT OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY?
Towards the end of my career in the late 1980s, early 1990s, the radioman rating was pushing towards using PCs and computers in everything they did. I decided to learn as much as I could about the information technology side of the house because I knew that was the way the world was going.
After I retired, I worked as an information technology consultant for nearly 13 years before I became burned out and retired from that career.
I pastored a small rural church near Independence, Oregon for six years. Now I am involved in rebuilding another small church in Independence. I thoroughly enjoy doing the Lord's work. .
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WHAT MILITARY ASSOCIATIONS ARE YOU A MEMBER OF, IF ANY? WHAT SPECIFIC BENEFITS DO YOU DERIVE FROM YOUR MEMBERSHIPS?
I am a member of five military associations. I have not attended any meetings for a long time. I belong to Military Officers of America Association (MOAA), American Legion, Veteran's of Foreign Wars, AmVets and U.S. Naval Institute.
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IN WHAT WAYS HAS SERVING IN THE MILITARY INFLUENCED THE WAY YOU HAVE APPROACHED YOUR LIFE AND YOUR CAREER? WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST ABOUT YOUR TIME IN THE SERVICE?
The Navy taught me a good work ethic and I have used that to my advantage along with the professionalism that was learned along the way. It came in handy when I decided to climb the leadership ladder in Toastmasters International. I am a past district governor and my military training and service helped me run a 3,000 plus member and 165 club organization.
The Navy also gave me my political views which eventually fell right in stride with my Christian views.
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BASED ON YOUR OWN EXPERIENCES, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO THOSE WHO HAVE RECENTLY JOINED THE NAVY?
Stay in. You will reap more benefits than what the Navy has promised.
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IN WHAT WAYS HAS TOGETHERWESERVED.COM HELPED YOU REMEMBER YOUR MILITARY SERVICE AND THE FRIENDS YOU SERVED WITH.
Togetherweserved.com has put me back in touch with many of my former shipmates that I thought I would never see again. I thank the founders of this website for creating a very professional veteran's website.
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