Charlie Johnson

Colonel Charlie Johnson was born and raised in a small rural town in Mississippi. He attended the United States Military Academy, West Point, NY and graduated in 1955. Commissioned a 2D Lieutenant of Infantry, Colonel Johnson served 26 ½ years in the US Army, retiring in 1981.

During his Army career, his assignments were primarily in the troop leading positions, but also included two tours at his Alma Mater. First, he served in the West Point Physical Education Department, and later he returned to serve in the Intercollegiate Athletics Department. Colonel Johnson served three tours of duty in Vietnam as a Vietnamese Ranger Advisor, an Operations Officer in the Special Operations Group and as a Light Infantry Battalion Commander. His military education includes the Infantry Officers Basic and Advanced Courses, the Command and General Staff College, the Army War College, Airborne and Ranger Schools and the Pathfinder Course. He has graduate degrees from Columbia University and Penn State University.

Since arriving in the Capital District in 1999, Colonel Johnson has been active in community service. This includes the Troy Mayor’s Ethics Committee, Board of Trustees of Oakwood Cemetery, Habitat for Humanity and the NYS Governor’s Commission for State Veteran Cemeteries. He is a member of the Tri County Council Vietnam Era Veterans, American Legion Post 1610, VFW Post 8444, and Stratton VA Medical Center Volunteer DAV Van Driver.

As the Endowment Chairman of the Tri County Council Vietnam Era Veterans, he has obtained an endowment of over $100,000 to fund scholarships for veterans at Hudson Valley, Schenectady, and Adirondack Community Colleges. He also obtained this for students at Russell Sage who are studying nursing, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. 

Colonel Johnson is the past Grand Marshall of the Albany Veterans Day Parade in 2008 and is this year’s Grand Marshall of the Memorial Day in Lansingburgh.

Colonel Johnson is married to Trudy Hall, Head of Emma Willard School. He has three children, Sam, US Army Colonel, Joe, a resident at Baddour Memorial Center in Senatobia, MS, and Wendy a fabric designer in Providence, Rhode Island.