Ralph Henry Johnson was just 19 years old when he did the unthinkable.
The Charleston native threw himself on a grenade that had been thrown into his fighting hole in Vietnam, sacrificing his own life to save fellow Marines.
That’s why the International African American Museum in Charleston is honoring Johnson with a new exhibit unveiled just in time for Memorial Day.
The exhibit includes a painting of Johnson, as well as a shadow box filled with memories, like the Medal of Honor that he received posthumously and the American flag presented to his family at his burial.
The tribute to Johnson is on display in the museum’s South Carolina Connections gallery. It's where stories about the resistance, achievement and influence of African Americans from across the state are shared.
Born in Charleston, Johnson enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1967 and was promoted to private first class. He arrived in Vietnam a year later where he served as a reconnaissance scout. Johnson was on patrol at a post overlooking the Quan Duc Valley when he was killed.
The museum's new exhibit is Johnson's latest honor.
Charleston’s VA center bears his name. A guided missile destroyer, the USS Ralph Johnson, was commissioned in 2018. And Johnson’s name can be found on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
