Taking the final path
Hundreds line Rehoboth roadway in honor of fallen soldier

Afghanistan Veteran Phil Smith, left, with the Run for the Wall Honor Guard, salutes the casket holding the remains of Army Chief Warrant Officer Christopher C. Johnson as other members of the Run for the Wall Honor Guard carry the casket into the Rehoboth Chapel on Thursday afternoon. Chief Warrant Officer Johnson was killed August 14, 2007 in Iraq when his CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed. [Photo by Matt Hinshaw/Independent]

By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Staff writer

Rehoboth eighth grader Jaynann Kinsel, 14, left, and fellow Rehoboth students, teachers, administration, and construction workers line the street heading to the Rehoboth Chapel as the hearse carrying the body of Army Chief Warrant Officer Christopher C. Johnson passes by on Thursday afternoon. Chief Warrant Officer Johnson was killed August 14, 2007 in Iraq when his CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed [Photo by Matt Hinshaw/Independent]

REHOBOTH — Community members from Gallup and Rehoboth continue to wrap arms of support around the family of fallen soldier Christopher Johnson.

On Thursday, more than 400 children and adults lined the roadway between Rehoboth High School and the new Rehoboth Church as Johnson’s family, local motorcyclists, and law enforcement officers escorted Johnson’s casket to the Rehoboth Church. Visitation will be held today at the church from 2 to 5 p.m.

Johnson, 31, an Army warrant officer and former Green Beret, died on Aug. 14 when the CH-47 Chinook helicopter he was piloting crashed in Anbar Province, Iraq. Four others lost their lives in the crash.

Johnson’s parents, Mary and Charles “Chuck” Johnson, are longtime Gallup residents. Johnson’s father is a science teacher at Rehoboth Middle School, his younger sister, Laura, graduated from Rehoboth High School, and his brother-in-law, Zach Evans, is a new teacher at the high school. Johnson’s mother is an educator at UNM-Gallup.

Johnson’s wife, Vivian, and their three children arrived in Gallup on Tuesday from their home in Huntsville, Ala.

About 350 Rehoboth pupils, from fourth-graders to high-school seniors, were dismissed from class at about 2:30 p.m. to line the road to the church. They were joined by teachers, school staff members and administrators, nearby construction workers, and a few veterans. Small American flags were distributed among the crowd, and sign posts along the roadway and school entrance were decorated with red, white, and blue ribbons.

The police motorcade, which featured officers from the Gallup Police Department, the New Mexico State Police, and the McKinley County Sheriff’s Department, was accompanied by a White Cliffs Fire and Rescue truck, and about a dozen local motorcyclists. Johnson was an avid Harley Davidson biker.

“This is Rehoboth at its best ... Gallup at its best,” said Ron Polinder, Rehoboth’s executive director, as he surveyed the crowd along the roadway. “There’s lots of love going on here,” he added.

Polinder said school officials decided to have the students greet the motorcade as a way of showing support for the Johnson family. He also expressed the hope that all the students “never forget this day” and never forget that they stood in line to honor a young man who gave his life for his country.

“It’s no small thing,” he said. “I’ll never forget it.”

The Christopher Johnson Scholarship Fund is being established at the school in honor of Johnson. In addition, community members who would like to send cards to the family can send them in care of the school, Poliner said. The address is Rehoboth Christian School, P.O. Box 41, Rehoboth, NM 87322.

For those wishing to donate food to Saturday’s reception, which will be held after the 10 a.m. memorial service, Polinder said those food items can be dropped off at the Rehoboth Fellowship Hall from 9 to 9:30 a.m.

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August 24, 2007
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Taking the final path; Hundreds line Rehoboth roadway in honor of fallen soldier

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