Family members, friends, and fellow servicemen and women planned to gather Oct. 13 at a memorial service honoring Vandenberg Air Force Base airman Daniel Johnson, who was killed in Afghanistan earlier this month.
Air force officials sent out a press release on Oct. 12 announcing there would be a body transfer ceremony at the base on Oct. 13,
followed by a memorial service at the base chapel and a transfer to First Christian Church in Santa Maria for another service.
Senior Airman Johnson, 23, was killed on Oct. 5 while conducting an explosive ordnance disposal operation. Another operation member, Tech. Sgt. Robert Butler, sustained unidentified injuries.
“Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of Airman Johnson and Sergeant Butler during this extremely difficult time,” Col. Richard Boltz, 30th Space Wing commander, said in the press release. “The loss of one of our own deeply affects us all; Team Vandenberg is pulling together closely to be there for the Johnson and Butler families and for each other.”
This article appears in Oct 14-21, 2010.