Johnson, Matthew James
Male
Verified U.S. Army Specialist Matthew James Johnson, 21, of Maplewood, Minnesota, died on July 14, 2010, in Lagman, Afghanistan, while serving with the 618th Engineer Company.
Their Story
Matthew James Johnson was a 21-year-old soldier from Maplewood, Minnesota. He served as a Specialist in the U.S. Army, assigned to the 618th Engineer Company, 27th Engineer Battalion (Combat Airborne), based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
On July 14, 2010, Specialist Johnson was killed in Lagman, a district in Zabul province, Afghanistan. The Department of Defense stated his death was the result of hostile action. According to reports, his unit was conducting route clearance operations when it was struck by an improvised explosive device.
Johnson's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. The mission involved counter-insurgency operations against Taliban and Al-Qaeda forces, with a significant focus on training Afghan security forces and conducting infrastructure and route clearance missions, a primary task for engineer units.
His death was reported by the Defense Casualty Analysis System on the day he died. He was one of at least 1,200 U.S. service members killed in Afghanistan in 2010, the deadliest year of the conflict for American forces.
Specialist Johnson is remembered on memorials for fallen soldiers from Minnesota. His name is inscribed on the Minnesota Afghanistan and Iraq War Memorial in St. Paul.
Explore Further
Specialist Johnson was killed during Operation Enduring Freedom (2001–2014). The conflict concluded in December 2014. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.
Among those documented in the same conflict: Andrews, Evander Earl, Edmunds, Jonn Joseph, Stonesifer, Kristofor Tif, Davis, Bryant Leroy.
