
Army Pvt. William C. Johnson always saw himself serving his country in some way, said his father. “He always talked about going into the military,” Billy Johnson said. “To him, it just felt like something he needed to do.”
Johnson, 22, of Oxford, N.C., was killed June 12 in Baghdad by an explosive. He was a 2003 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Riley, Kan.
“He was always smiling, always had a kind work to say, always helpful,” said Cynthia Currin, a family friend. “This is just a tragic loss.”
Billy Johnson said his son — referred to as Chris or Christopher, his middle name — was a kindhearted individual who went out of his way to help...