Late Vietnam vet from Freeport gets proper military honors 5 years after death

Late Freeport Navy veteran Bob Johnston described his time in the Vietnam War as a shooting gallery where soldiers lived like pirates.

“We took the rockets, the mortar fire and the artillery fire from the enemy at night,” Johnston wrote in his 2017 raw account of battle, “Blood and Brown Water.”

“Sometimes our guys fought alongside (the Marines), repelling ground attacks and died with them. Then, the next day, we boarded our boats and took five or six more loads up the river … many days like driving along in a minefield.”

When Johnston died from cancer in 2018, his ashes were scattered in the Cua Viet River at Dong Ha, the same water where he spent three Navy tours from 1965 to ’68.

Fellow veteran and former Tarentum resident Dave Christopher believed Johnston deserved a final resting place with military honors and spearheaded an effort to obtain a burial marker at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies.

The 292-acre facility in Cecil Township, Washington County, was dedicated in 2005 by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

“I wanted him to have the recognition he deserved,” said Christopher, who makes his home in Vietnam.

The military cemetery includes a memorial section for veterans without remains, whether missing in action, lost at sea or whose ashes were scattered.

Director Edward Hajduk said it’s an important recognition, one that is the mission of the cemetery to honor veterans with lasting tributes that mark their sacrifice to the nation.

“Their final resting place may not be here at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies physically, but the memorial headstone is their lasting tribute that does commemorate their service,” he said.

Johnston’s headstone is among 29 in the cemetery’s memorial section, Hajduk said.

“This gives the family some peace and gives them closure,” Hajduk said. “It also gives them a place to visit and remember their loved ones.”

It took Christopher five years and overseas coordination to secure Johnston’s marker. He credited Harrison funeral home director Tom Zidek with helping as a go-between with him and the cemetery.

“It took a bit longer than I thought it would, but I’m just happy that Bob has a memorial for his service and for his three tours in Vietnam,” Christopher said. “His wife is especially happy that we got this done.”

During Johnston’s wartime coastal operations, his role was to deliver ammunition and fuel to fellow soldiers along the river in southern Vietnam.

“Small groups of our boats lived and died on the rivers where we did our job on; unlike our counterparts at the main support units, we were there 24/7,” Johnston wrote in his book.

“On about any day, anything you did could get you killed and sometimes did.”

Decades after his service, Johnston returned to Southeast Asia and lived 11 years until his death.

With his wife, Phoung Diep Minh, Johnston worked to restore the Tuy Hoa region through their food and clothing charity, “Rice Soup From Love.”

The couple also ran a cafe, Bob’s Cafe American, where Terrible Towels and other Pittsburgh memorabilia hung from the wall.

Christopher added that Johnston was a die-hard fan of the black and gold.

“He had me bring the towels and a big Steelers flag to hang,” Christopher said. “Although his wife still lives in Tuy Hoa, she’s happy to see him get his recognition back home for his service.”