... is the final resting place of Sgt. Dwight Hal Johnson, the subject of the song "Bummer" on Harry's 1975 album, "Portrait Gallery." Although the song takes several liberties, particularly with respect to his early life, the message of the song is wholly accurate: that Sgt. Johnson went overseas, served his country, and came home to an America that heard the phrase "black Medal of Honor recipient" and cared more about the first word than the other four.
He was shot to death by a convenience store clerk. Most sources report that he was shot while trying to rob the store. But a handful of sources suggest that he was buying diapers, and the clerk shot him after mistaking him for a different black man who had robbed the store earlier in the evening. Detroit police didn't do a whole lot of investigation into the matter. It was easy enough to decide that he must have had malicious intent - after all, why else would a man with military training be carrying a gun while walking around inner-city Detroit at 11:30 at night?
A character who is Sgt. Johnson's namesake will appear in the next chapter of "Mail Order Annie." In the meantime, set aside about ten minutes and click below. And on this Veterans Day, remember - and pay tribute to - one who deserved a better ending than he received.
"Bummer" by Harry Chapin (with lyrics)
Sgt. Johnson's Medal of Honor citation
Sgt. Johnson's final resting place