Colonel Alvin B. (Al) Johnson

Colonel Alvin B. (Al) Johnson (US Army Retired), age 74, of Roswell, GA died after a prolonged illness on Sunday, March 24, 2013.

His beloved wife of 32 years, Cheryle, was by his side, along with many family members. Al was born June 14, 1938 in Galveston, TX, son of the late Alvin B. Johnson Sr. and the late Omie Dell Harwell Johnson. He grew up largely in New Orleans, LA and graduated from Alcee Fortier High School. Upon finishing High School he entered college at Louisiana State University. He was vice president of his college fraternity, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, studied Geology and Geography and was a graduate of the ROTC program. He took time away from LSU to earn money for a trip to Europe and in 1958 he traveled there with two friends and walked through 12 countries. He graduated in 1961 from LSU and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in June of that year. He later earned a Master of Arts from the now Hampton University in Virginia, 1973.

Col. Johnson had a distinguished 28-year career in the military that concluded in California as Commander of Troops and Deputy Director of DCEC at Fort Ord, CA. During his career he was a member of the 101st Airborne Division, a Special Forces Green Beret and paratrooper. While stationed in Germany between 1963 and 1967, he received Special Forces training and carried out covert counterinsurgency training in Turkey and Belgium. One of the assignments most meaningful to him was commander of Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry of the 1st Air Cavalry Division (Airmobile) in Vietnam, 1967. Al served two tours in Vietnam totaling two years. He received a number of medals and among them two Bronze Stars and the Distinguished Flying Cross. With one of his Bronze Stars he received the "V" device, which denotes "participation in acts of heroism involving conflict with an armed enemy". The Distinguished Flying Cross was awarded to Col. Johnson for orchestrating a helicopter rescue saving several fellow servicemen in Vietnam. This medal is given for "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight". Following his military career, Al worked for the Veterans Administration for over ten years. In the early 1990's,with his wife Cheryle, he started a fine arts business (Johnson Hall Fine Arts, Inc.) and became art dealers in Atlanta for nearly 20 years.

Al is survived by his wife Cheryle Hall Johnson, son and daughter-in-law Gregory Mace Johnson and Becky Acton Johnson of Mandeville, LA, son and daughter-in-law Jeffery Lance Johnson and Kathy Guerrera Johnson of Milton, GA, son Heath Hedden of Dallas, TX, daughter and son-in-law Heather Hedden Wilkins and Jeff Wilkins of Hawkinsville, GA, grandchildren Jeffery (Lance) Johnson, Meredith Bostwick Johnson, Victoria (Tori) Johnson, Frederic Anthony (Tony) Johnson, Nicholas Michael Wilkins, Jessica Johnson and Morgan Delaine Wilkins, sister and brother-in-law Mona Johnson Jernigan and Robert G. Jernigan Sr. of Kansas City, MO, sister and brother-in-law Sara Betty Johnson Elofson and Frederick N. Elofson of Newport News, VA, and a host of nieces and nephews.
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Graveside services for Col. Johnson will be held on Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 12:30 p.m. at Georgia National Cemetery, 1080 Veterans Cemetery Rd, Canton, GA 30114.

The family will receive friends on Thursday from 10:00