Army Spc. Maurice J. Johnson
Death: Nov 01, 2003
of Levittown Pa.; assigned to C Company 501st Signal Battalion 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) based in Fort Campbell Ky.; killed Nov. 1 when his Humvee was hit by an improvised explosive device in Mosul Iraq. Slain soldier named By Chantal Escoto The (Clarksville Tenn.) Leaf-Chronicle The name of a second soldier killed in a Nov. 1 enemy roadside bombing in Mosul Iraq was released by the Pentagon. Spc. Maurice J. Johnson21 Company C of the 501st Signal Battalion Died along with 1st Lt. Joshua C. Hurley24 of 326th Engineer Battalion when their Humvee hit what the military calls an improvised explosive device. Two others were injured in the attack but their names will not be released. Johnson a native of Levittown Pa. entered the Army in July 2000 and arrived at Fort Campbell in April 2002 as a communications specialist. His sister Keisha Johnson25 in Levittown said she’s doing all she can to keep the family together after dealing with her oldest brother’s death. The family plans to have his burial in Pennsylvania — possibly at a military cemetery. His body arrived late on Nov. 3 at Dover Air Force Base Del. “Everybody is OK. Our mom passed away two years ago so it was just us left” Keisha Johnson said referring to herself and brothers Joshua19 and Abdul 13. “Our family is close but we’re not a big family.” She called it a blessing that she received an e-mail from her oldest brother two days before he was killed. “He said he’d send some pictures and couldn’t wait to get back home. He decided he wasn’t going to take his two weeks (R&R) and would wait to come home in March and April and be home with the family” Keisha Johnson said. “It was a little weird because I hadn’t heard from him for such a long time and then I got the e-mail.” After Spc. Johnson graduated from Harry S. Truman High School in 2000 where he was on the track team he joined the military. His sister said he had hopes of making a career of the Army. She said although her brother was quiet he was never short on making others laugh. “He was always trying to make jokes” Keisha Johnson said recalling the times he called her from Iraq pretending to be a bill collector or acting like an ex-boyfriend trying to stir up trouble. But Spc. Johnson was always even-tempered and gentle. “You had to really make him upset about something before he got mad” she said. “All of us had our own special bond with Maurice. He was close to all of us. I’m going to miss him dearly.” A Fort Campbell memorial service is not planned because the 101st Airborne Division is deployed. Johnson and Hurley were both remembered and honored Soldier from Pennsylvania killed in attack FORT CAMPBELL Ky. — A specialist from Pennsylvania was identified as one of two soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division killed Oct. 31 in northern Iraq in a roadside bombing. Spc. Maurice Johnson21 of Levittown Pa. and 1st. Lt. Joshua C. Hurley24 from Clifton Forge Va. were both killed in Mosul when the Humvee they were riding in was hit by an improvised explosive device. Johnson was assigned to the 101st’s 501st Signal Battalion. Johnson was a single channel tactical satellite operator and provided communications for the commanding general of the 101st. During the onset of combat operations early in the war he provided radio support that linked the base camps during combat operations. At the time of his death he was serving as a liaison to the governor of the Nineveh Province in northern Iraq. “Whether it was helping out the servers protecting the city hall during a riot or traveling to work at the mayor’s office” said Lt. Col. Welton Chase Jr. commander of the 501st. “Johnson always did his job and did it well.” Johnson is survived by his sister Kieshia Johnson of Levittown Pa. — Associated Press Operation Iraqi Freedom