More detail on this person: Monte David
Johnson was born to Herman and Mildred (Wilson)
Johnson on December 26, 1940, at Winner, South
Dakota, and passed away on Thursday, May 19,
2016 at his home in Milligan, Nebraska at the age
of 75 years, 4 months, and 23 days. He was one of
five children born in the family.
Monte joined the Navy Reserves while still in high
school and graduated from Lincoln High School in
1958. The following year he married Karen
Dittenber. While in the Navy, he was stationed in
Norfolk, Virginia and San Diego, California. After
leaving the Navy in 1966, Monte policed the City
of Littleton, Colorado. In 1969, he continued his
service to his country and joined the Army. While
in the Army, he performed tours in Vietnam from
1970-1971, Korea from 1975-1976 and 1980-1981.
He was a member of the 1st Cavalry Division where
he first flew a Huey Helicopter and then moved to
a Cobra Attack Helicopter. He was awarded the
Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross three
times, and Bronze Star. On June 30, 1984, he
retired from the Army and later settled outside of
Waverly, Nebraska. He met Mary (Marshall)
Haneline and they were married on June 25, 1994.
They made their home in Waverly, where Monte
flew Life Flight for St. Joseph's Hospital and
worked for Concrete Industries. Upon his
retirement from there, he and Mary moved to
Milligan, Nebraska where he worked on the farm
with his son-in-law.
Monte was baptized and confirmed in the Trinity
Lutheran Church in Winner, South Dakota. After
moving to Milligan, he joined the Milligan United
Methodist Church. He also had membership in the
Milligan American Legion HSSK Post 240, Vietnam
Helicopter Pilots Association, VFW, National Rifle
Association, the 1st Cavalry Division, US Army,
and the Milligan Community Club.
Monte was military service-oriented through and
through; he was structured, a true gentleman,
respectful, and well organized. He loved spending
time with his wife, Mary and also cherished the
relationships he made with friends in the
community of Milligan. Attending Vietnam reunions
and reconnecting with his brothers in arms were
great memories for him. Monte was passionate
about flying as well as hunting, working on guns,
and reloading ammunition in his spare time.
Monte was preceded in death by his grandparents
David & Anna Johnson; Carl Wilson and Sophie
Wilson; parents Herman & Mildred Johnson;
nephew Jeffrey Johnson; and parents-in-law Melvin
& Mildred Marshall.
He is survived by his wife Mary Johnson of
Milligan, Nebraska; son David and wife Lydia
Johnson of Arlington, Texas; daughter Lori Johnson
of Lincoln, Nebraska; son John and wife Tracy
Haneline of Cheyenne, Wyoming; daughter Tracy
Kresak and husband Brad of Milligan, Nebraska;
grandchildren Kate and Zach Johnson of Arlington,
Texas, Jacob Haneline of Guam, Jessica and
Jaidyn Haneline of Monument, Colorado, Brody,
Josie and Cade Kresak of Milligan, Nebraska;
Sister Monica Zuerlein and husband Vance of
Lincoln, Nebraska; brothers Mickey Johnson and
wife Nancy of Ashland, Nebraska, Murray Johnson
and wife Vi of Lincoln, Nebraska, and Mark Johnson
and wife Deb of Norfolk, Nebraska.
WO1 Monte Johnson joined Apache Troop, 1st
Squadron, 9th Cavalry in May 1970, just in time to
take part in the "Cambodian Incursion" ordered by
President Nixon. He was assigned to the Lift
platoon, and soon qualified as an Aircraft
Commander in the UH-1 Huey with call sign
"Apache 38."
Monte wanted to fly Cobras, so he somehow
finagled a transition, and soon earned his second
call sign, "Apache 21," as an AC in the
aero-weapons platoon.
Monte was an exceptionally good shot with the
2.75-inch Folding Fin Aerial Rockets that were the
main armament of the Cobra. VHPA member Jim
Kurtz of Fairfax, Virginia, remembers one mission
where Monte demonstrated his prowess. Jim was
Monte's co-pilot on a Pink Team mission during
"Second Cambodia," another incursion that took
place in February to May 1971. The second time
around, the forces on the ground were the Army of
the Republic of Vietnam, with US air cavalry in
support. According to Jim:
The Low Bird reported a Toyota pickup truck hidden
under a stand of palm trees just outside a
village. There were no people in sight, but the
Scout crew observed some sort of boxes in the
back of the truck, so I called the spot report
into the Apache Troop operations center, who
passed it up the chain. Soon the order came to
"fire it up."
Monte pulled the Low Bird back up to altitude, so
we wouldn't have to worry about someone taking a
shot at it, and then he set us up for a pass, with
him firing the rockets from the back seat and me
in the front seat on the turret. Monte fired a
single pair of rockets that went straight to the
target. The result was dramatic: he hit the
pickup truck square on, and pieces of it flew
through the air. But they weren't just any
pieces. Monte Johnson literally "blew the doors
off" that truck!
This information was last updated 05/27/2016
Please send additions or corrections to: HQ@vhpa.org VHPA Headquarters
Return to the Helicopter Pilot DAT name list
Return to VHPA web site
Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association