Jeremiah J. Johnson |
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There were plenty of things Jeremiah J. Johnson liked: fishing, hunting, shooting off fireworks, playing pranks, tying up his brothers and sisters, building booby traps for fun, studying military manuals, practicing athletic moves on his little brothers, and once downing three triple cheeseburgers at a sitting. "He was just an amazing brother," said younger brother Zachary. "He just knew so much. He lit up a room without saying a word, and when he said something, the room just exploded. God, his laugh!" Johnson, 23, of Vancouver, Wash., died Jan. 6 of wounds suffered when his vehicle rolled over into a canal Dec. 26 in Baghdad. He was assigned to Fort Richardson. Johnson, a 2001 high school graduate, was a hard worker who played soccer and football, and became a star center-fielder for his high school baseball team. "He was ripped, ready, athletic and oh, so cool," said youth minister Luke Hanes. "He was such a likable kid, that even when he was getting in trouble, you liked him." He is survived by his wife, Gale, who he met when both were first-graders; a 2-year-old daughter, Rya; and a 4-year-old son, Isaiah.