Gold Star mother to share son’s story

Mary Johnson knows what Memorial Day means.

Not just the red, white and blue. Not just the speeches or the silence. For her, Memorial Day is personal.

It’s about Tom.

Army Spc. Thomas K. Johnson died in July 2013. He was 26. He served in Iraq, at Guantanamo Bay, and was stationed at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in New Hampshire when he lost his battle with post-traumatic stress. For Mary Johnson, a mother of two sons who served, Memorial Day is a time of remembrance – and quiet strength.

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On Monday, May 26, Johnson will speak at Eden Prairie’s annual Memorial Day ceremony at the Veterans Memorial in Purgatory Creek Park, 13001 Technology Drive. The event runs from 11 a.m. to noon and will include patriotic music by the Eden Prairie Community Band.

The program will also include recognition of two local veterans: Thomas Johnson of Eden Prairie – not related to Mary Johnson – will be honored by Sen. Steve Cwodzinski, and Tim Beutell will be honored by Mayor Ron Case.

Johnson will serve as the keynote speaker.

A longtime Savage resident, her journey as a military mother began in 2006 when her son Thomas – whom she calls Tom – joined the Army. Six months later, her younger son, Kristopher, enlisted in the Navy. At the time, Mary had no military background aside from two uncles who served in World War II. Kristopher served as a Navy Seabee and completed deployments to Okinawa and Bahrain.

“It’s an interesting story how I came to speak here,” Johnson said. A 3M veterans support group had contacted the national American Gold Star Mothers organization looking for a Memorial Day speaker. “The national president said, ‘Oh, I think Mary Johnson lives in Minnesota,’ and connected me with them.”

That connection eventually led to a meeting with the city’s Memorial Day event organizers, who asked Johnson to serve as this year’s keynote speaker.

Johnson is a member of both Blue Star Mothers of America and American Gold Star Mothers Inc. She currently serves as third vice president for the Minnesota Department of Blue Star Mothers and holds the role of third vice president pro tem (Blue to Gold) on the organization’s national board.

Gold Star Mothers are women who have lost a son or daughter in military service.

She also leads Gold Star Family Weekend Inc., a Minnesota nonprofit that offers a weekend retreat for families who have lost a loved one in military service.

“I think every Gold Star family story is different, but we all want to share about our children,” she said. “My story isn’t that different from other military families, but when you personalize it – when you make the person we lost a real person – it has a bigger impact.”

Johnson’s remarks on Monday will reflect that spirit. Her address will highlight the history of Memorial Day and the distinctions between it and other military observances, such as Armed Forces Day and Veterans Day. She will speak about the meaning of loss, the importance of community support, and the work of Minnesota nonprofits that serve military families – and she will close with a story about her son.

Tom served a 15-month deployment to Iraq, followed by 18 months at Guantanamo Bay. Later, at his final posting in New Hampshire, he was separated from his Army support system on a civilian base. Despite asking to be moved, he remained.

“In a mom’s perspective, he was stateside. It should have felt safe,” she said. “But he lost all of his Army support – it was a civilian base. Eventually, he lost his battle with post-traumatic stress.”

Johnson wants people to leave the ceremony with a clearer understanding of what Memorial Day represents.

“I’m not going to get on a soapbox,” she said. “But I want people to understand what this holiday is really about – it’s about remembering our military members who never made it home, and those who continue to struggle even after returning.”

She’ll wear the traditional white uniform of American Gold Star Mothers. She won’t be hard to miss. And she’ll be there to speak her son’s name – and to help others remember.