Retired Army Colonel Charles R. Johnson of Troy, a Vietnam War veteran, is worthy of more than salutes for his leadership in community service and veterans advocacy. The Tri-County Council of Vietnam Era Veterans will honor Johnson during a testimonial on Tuesday, April 26, at the Century House, Route 9, Latham. The reception begins at 6 p.m. Cost is $40 per person. Make check payable to TCCVEV and send it to Gene Loparco, 22 Furlong Drive, Albany, NY, 12205. For information, call Gene at 456-4667 or e-mail loparco8888@yahoo.com.
Johnson retired from the Army in 1981 after 26 years of service that included tours in Vietnam. He served as a Vietnamese Army Ranger adviser, operations officer in a Special Operations Group and led 9th and 25th Infantry Division battalions. After he moved to the Capital Region in 1999, he volunteered for community service both as a civilian and as an active member of veterans organizations. In 2014, the Association of the U.S. Army and Friends of the state Military Museum named him Veteran of the Year.
Johnson was commissioned as a second lieutenant upon graduation from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He returned to West Point on the staffs of the physical education and intercollegiate athletics departments. His community service included the Troy Mayor's Ethics committee, the Board of Trustees of Oakwood Cemetery, Habitat for Humanity and the Governor's Commission for State Veterans Cemeteries. He is a member and past president of the Tri-County Council of Vietnam Era Veterans, American Legion Post 8444, Veterans of Lansingburgh and the Rensselaer County Veterans Association.
He served as a Stratton Veterans Affairs Disabled American Veterans Association van driver. The colonel also serves on an advisory board for a leadership program at Duke University and is president of the West Point Class of 1955. Johnson helped establish a Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Albany High School. The colonel is a graduate of Command and General Staff College and Airborne and Ranger schools. He earned graduate degrees from Columbia University and Penn State University. Read More