[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 16]
[House]
[Page 21896]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             IN MEMORY OF 1ST LT. MICHAEL E. JOHNSON, USMC

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Nye) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. NYE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the service and sacrifice 
but, most importantly, the life of First Lieutenant Michael E. Johnson 
of the United States Marine Corps, who gave his life to defend our 
Nation.
  Mike Johnson grew up in the sand and surf of Virginia Beach, along 
with his twin brother Dan and his younger brother Steve. At Hickory 
High School in Chesapeake, he was an accomplished athlete and a member 
of the crew team. From an early age, he always talked of following in 
his grandfather's footsteps and becoming a marine.
  Mike loved the outdoors, and after visiting relatives in Oregon, he 
decided to attend college at Oregon State. In college, he met his soul 
mate, Durinda, and in 2007 they were married in her hometown of Keizer, 
Oregon.
  Mike told his friends that, one day, he hoped to become a park 
ranger, bringing together his love of the outdoors with his commitment 
to public service; but for Mike, duty came first, and with our country 
at war, Mike decided that his own dreams would have to wait.
  He joined the Marines. After training at Quantico, Mike and Durinda 
moved to Okinawa, Japan where, First Lieutenant Johnson was assigned to 
the Seventh Communications Battalion, Third Marine Headquarters Group, 
III Marine Expeditionary Force.
  Two months ago, Mike was deployed to Afghanistan where he was 
assigned as part of an embedded team that was training the Afghan Army. 
On September 8, his unit was attacked by insurgent fighters as they 
approached a village in eastern Afghanistan. In a firefight that lasted 
over 8 hours, Mike and three other Americans were killed.
  As a husband, a son, a brother, and a friend, Mike was a positive 
influence on everyone around him. He loved his family and his friends, 
and he cherished every moment he had with them.
  Mr. Speaker, across Virginia today, flags are flying at half-staff in 
honor of Lieutenant Johnson and his memory; but for those lucky enough 
to have known him, he will always be remembered for the smile that 
never left his face and by the words he lived by: carpe diem and Semper 
Fi.

                          ____________________