[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 16 (Wednesday, January 27, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S250]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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           REMEMBERING LIEUTENANT COLONEL KENNETH R. JOHNSON

 Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, today I wish to celebrate the 
life and honor the service of Vietnam veteran Lt. Col. Kenneth R. 
Johnson. Lieutenant Colonel Johnson passed away on August 29, 2015, and 
was laid to rest January 14, 2016, at Arlington National Cemetery. Born 
and raised in Minneapolis, Lieutenant Colonel Johnson enjoyed playing 
music with his garage band, the Commodores, and studying airplanes. 
Upon graduating from Roosevelt High School in 1955, Johnson enlisted in 
the Minnesota Air National Guard, where he served for 2 years before 
entering the U.S. Air Force Academy to become an officer.
  After he received his commission as a second lieutenant, Johnson went 
on to earn his wings and begin his career flying the F-100 Super Sabre, 
one of the planes that he would fly during the Vietnam war. It was in 
this plane that Johnson earned the Silver Star, defending the Tong Le 
Chan Special Forces camp, heroically making nine passes at low altitude 
against intense hostile fire in support of our troops. Later in the 
war, after being forced to eject over North Vietnam, Johnson would 
spend nearly 15 months as a POW in Hanoi. Despite this trying time, 
Johnson's resolve and the love he had for his country remained intact, 
and he continued to serve for many years after his release in 1973.
  Our country will always need brave men like Lt. Col. Kenneth R. 
Johnson. He embodied our Nation's most cherished values and served as 
an example to us all. Today my thoughts and prayers are with his 
family, including his brother Phil; his two sons, Bradley and David; 
and his sister, Delores. May we always remember and cherish his 
memory.

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