TONGO TONGO AMBUSH (2/3): LA DAVID JOHNSON FIGHTS TO THE END

SGT La David Johnson was the fourth American soldier who died in the Tongo Tongo ambush on 4 October 2017.

After the team came under fire and the leader had identified the sheer number of roughly 100 heavily armed IS fighters, he pulled his force back. The delay in mounting up left behind the 3 Green Berets who would later be killed (see the previous post).

The withdrawing force, which included La David Johnson, took up a position about 700 meters south of the ambush site and noticed that they had left several comrades behind. After failing to raise the team by radio, 4 Green Berets volunteered to run back to the contested spot to look for the 3 soldiers. Meanwhile the force that had just pulled out came under fire again, and Johnson answered with one of the machine guns mounted on the vehicles. When the ammunition ran out, he kept fighting the enemy with an M2010 sniper rifle. The group was soon in danger of being surrounded again, so the leader had to order a second withdrawal. All the vehicles drove off and left Johnson with 2 Nigerien soldiers, on the assumption that they could move out on their own. The enemy fire was so heavy that Johnson could not get into his truck. As the enemy pushed closer, the three men had no choice but to fall back on foot across the savanna. They ran as fast as they could, but the enemy followed with vehicles and motorcycles. In the open ground, the Nigerien soldiers were killed after about 400 meters.

After falling back almost a kilometer from the enemy, possibly already hit several times, Johnson took up his last position by a small bush. From there he fought back hard against the numerically superior IS fighters and kept them at a distance.

Johnson had nothing but his assault rifle and no heavy weapons. There was no contact with his comrades. Even so, the family man did not give up and returned fire without a break. Only when the Islamists closed to 100 meters with an armed vehicle and covered Johnson with a hail of bullets could they take him out. He died alone, weapon in hand, hit 18 times. Johnson’s body was recovered after 2 days. A soldier who loved life, he left behind his pregnant wife, his daughter and his son.

For his actions he is now to be made an honorary Green Beret (as of July 2021).

In memory of SGT La David Johnson.

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