John Johnson

John Monroe Johnson was a brilliant and passionate student at the U.S. Naval Academy, described by a classmate as a “model midshipman.” The 22-year-old was a member of the 29th Company, where he served as a company platoon commander. Raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he later moved with his family to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where he attended high school, playing football and running track. Before reporting to Annapolis in June 2017, he briefly attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. At the academy, he excelled, studying mathematics and earning a 3.97 GPA. He was part of the prestigious Trident Scholar Program and consistently ranked among the top students in his class, both academically and overall.

On a Monday night in December 2020, while on winter break, John was with friends at a resort hotel pool in Park City, Utah. He told them he was going to practice holding his breath underwater. When he did not come up for air after about five minutes, his friends grew concerned, jumped into the pool, and pulled him out. They immediately began performing CPR until paramedics arrived and took over. John was rushed to the Park City Medical Center, but he was pronounced deceased. His death was ruled an accidental drowning.

The loss was felt deeply by his family and the Naval Academy community. “If I were to describe John in one word, it would be ‘passion,’” his company officer, Lt. Eric Nordquist, said in a statement. “He epitomized and excelled in every area, and earned the respect of everyone who crossed his path.” Superintendent Vice Adm. Sean Buck extended heartfelt condolences on behalf of the academy, calling it an “unimaginable loss.” John is survived by his parents, Kim and John, and his four younger brothers, Vance, Paul, Franklin, and Teddy.

Following his death, John’s father worked for five months to change the academy’s policy on posthumous degrees, noting that West Point and the Air Force Academy had similar provisions. On April 19, 2021, a new policy was signed into effect. At the Naval Academy graduation and commissioning ceremony in May 2021, John Monroe Johnson became the first midshipman to be awarded a degree posthumously. His parents accepted his diploma for a bachelor’s degree in mathematics with honors, presented to them by Vice President Kamala Harris. “Your son was taken far too soon,” Harris said in her address. “And I promise you that he will not be forgotten.”