Larry M. Johnson

Larry Johnson, 84, a resident of El Prado, passed away peacefully on January 5, 2025, surrounded by loved ones. 

Larry was born in Seagraves, Texas, 26 October 1940 and then his father was drafted into the Army in WW-II at which time he and his mother moved to the Breckenridge, Texas area and lived with his paternal grandparents until his dad returned from the war. After his dad returned from WW-II they moved to Wichita County (Wichita Falls area) and Larry went to the Wichita Public School system graduating in 1958. 

In 1958 Larry was married to his high school girlfriend and then they were stationed in France where their first son, James was born. Upon the completion of his tour in France, Larry & family returned to Texas, and he was released from Active Duty. After 3 months Larry re-enlisted in the Army and went to school @ Ft. Devens, MA to be a Morse Intercept Operator with the Army Security Agency (now Military Intelligence). He spent one tour of duty as a “Ditty Bopper” on the island of Shemya Island, AK and then returned to Ft. Devens to teach at the ASA school. While there he transitioned to a new MOS, Communications Electronic Warfare Operator and he continued to work and teach EW until 1966. In 1966 he was sent to Vietnam with a “black program” called Crazy Cat as an EW Controller aboard the Army SP2E aircraft. While in Vietnam, Larry was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal with 12 Oakleaf Clusters, the Vietnam Service Medal with 4 Campaign Stars, the Vietnam Campaign Medal w/1960 Devise, and the National Defense Service Medal. Other awards he received while in the military were the Senior Air crewmember Wings, Expert Marksmanship badge w/Rifle & Pistol, Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal with 3 awards, the National Guard Achievement Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Army NCO Professional Development Ribbon, and the Air Force NCO Academy Ribbon. He was also in units that were awarded the Army Presidential Unit Citation, Army Meritorious Unit Citation and the RVN Gallantry Cross w/Palm Leaf.

He was released from active duty in 1973 and stayed in the Army Reserves, Air National Guard and Army National Guard until he “aged out” at 60 years old and retired as a Sergeant First Class, USA. He went to work as a Civil Servant at White Sands Missile Range, NM, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama and culminating his career with a special “black program” with the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD). During these assignments he was Team chief of a Field Measurement Team @ WSMR and Redstone Arsenal and a Program Manager with the OSD organization. He ended his career as Deputy Director of Operations (DDO) of the testing arm of the OSD organization. He was very proud of his work with the OSD element because he was able to use all of the good things that he had learned in the testing community and as an Airborne EW controller in Combat, while taking out the bad things that he saw in the testing communities. He was able to utilize a group of individuals, National Guard soldiers, in his role of OSD because they were as asset that the Department of Defense sorely underutilized. This proved to be a win-win for not only OSD but for the National Guard also. He worked very closely with the Command Staff of the New Mexico National Guard and was able to get the “cream of the crop” so to speak, to work on the OSD programs which in turn was a big boon for the National Guard.

Larry is survived by his wife, Agnes Cardenas Johnson, 2 sons, David W. (Jenny) Johnson of Gilbert, AZ and J. Mark (Michelle Provencio) Johnson of Las Cruces, NM. In addition, he is survived by 1 stepdaughter, Lilia Mae Oakeley. He has one brother, James N. (Jeri) Johnson of Spokane, WA. He was preceded in death by his parents, the Rev. James N. Johnson and wife Lillie, son James R. Johnson, along with both sets of grandparents. He also leaves behind numerous nieces/nephews and more friends that can be listed in this missive. 

During his retirement years, Larry was a life member of many organizations, Army Otter Caribou Association (AOCA) (Past Reunion Coordinator), Disables American Veterans (DAV) (Past Chapter Adjutant & Current Department CFO for NM, Senior Vice Commander, Chapter 3), DAV Auxiliary, American Legion, National Order of Trench Rats (NOTR), National Rifle Association (NRA), New Mexico Hunter Educators Association, Inc (NM HEAi), Patriot Guard Riders of NM, Ironwood Veterans, Army Aviation Association of America (AAAA) Association of the United States Army (AUSA), Rio Rancho Veterans Monument Park Group and other local Veterans organizations. He also served on the state staff for the NM Youth Hunter Education Competition (YHEC) as Orienteering Director, International YHEC as staff on the Special Rifle Event, NM State 4H Staff as Rifle Range Officer and the National 4H Shooting Sports Rifle Range Officer. He was a life member of the NRA and the NM Shooting Sports Association and was certified in all shooting disciplines with NRA and the State of New Mexico. He was heavily involved in Youth shooting sports programs and believed that the key to success in shooting sports was teaching youth at an early age how to handle firearms safely. 

He also volunteered for over 8,000 hours for the Presbyterian Healthcare Systems in various capacities as a volunteer. He was very dedicated to that effort because he could see how over-worked the providers, Nurses, Medical Assistants and Clerical personnel were and how much assistance they needed. He became very fond of all of the people that he worked with in the clinics of Presbyterian. He was very proud of his volunteer work over the years because he saw a need for his talents that he had learned for many years in his positions in the military and civil service. 

In 2011 Larry was selected by the Rio Rancho Observer and a committee of the City of Rio Rancho, NM as one of the “Unsung Heroes, Past & Present” for his contributions to the City through his many volunteer efforts. 

He was very proud of all his children in his melded family because they each had inherited a very strong work ethic and worked hard to ensure that they were contributing to our society as they had been taught to do. He could see that same work ethic being passed on to their children and was happy to see that same work ethic instilled in the great-grandchildren. He loved his family and stayed in touch with them via all communications media as much as possible. Larry gave his father the credit for the work ethic that he was so well noted for, because his father was his hero the entire time he was growing up and into his grown years. 

He used to like to tell folks, “My dad was always stupid when I was a teenager, but it was amazing how smart he got by the time I turned 25 years old.” It just goes to show you that all of us can grow up after we get out of school.

Larry was always looking into what he could do next in this life. He was able to do so many things and he liked to tell folks that he had lived on every continent with the exception of Antarctica. He was able to work under some very arduous conditions, but always loved the challenge that was created by his job. He lived by the creed that “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop” and his mind was never idle because he was always looking for the next challenge. He was very proud of the years that he lived, because his father was taken away from this world too early and Larry always regretted that, because his father had so much to offer. He also cared for all of his friends that he collected up over the years and was proud of the fact that he stayed in touch with many of his Vietnam Veteran buddies that he served with so many years ago. He was very proud of his military and civilian service in support of the Department of Defense and the many varied missions that he was able to support. He worked with all of the services and enjoyed his work with Military Intelligence the most of all of his work. He made many friends within the MI and the Special Operations Community and was proud of any contributions that he might have made to those efforts.

All Larry asks of each of you, that you continue on with the work that he has been doing, especially his volunteer efforts. He asks for no memorials to him, no flowers or any other things, just make donation (preferably of your time) to your favorite organization, because volunteerism is the best thing that you can put out there to remember Larry by. 

A Memorial Service will be held on Friday, February 7, 2025 at 10:30am, held by the Reverend Bill Dorn of Phillips Chapel in Albuquerque, NM at Phillips Chapel, CME Church, 1401 Edith Blvd., SE, Albuquerque, NM 87102.  At his request, he has been cremated (gone through the toaster, as he said) and a private family burial will follow at 2:30pm at the Santa Fe National Cemetery. 

The family of Larry Johnson has entrusted the care of their loved one to the caring staff of DeVargas Funeral Home of Taos. 866-657-4019 www.devargastaos.com