The last time Felix Johnson talked to his son he was teasing him about breaking his ankle by falling down some steps.
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"I asked him if he was coming home, and he said no, he could do his job from a sitting position," Mr. Johnson said of his son, Nathaniel Henry Johnson, who was calling him from a hospital in Baghdad, near where he was stationed with the 82nd Airborne Division.
That was Sunday.
Four days later, military officials came to Mr. Johnson's Augusta home and told him that the Blackhawk helicopter Spc. Johnson was aboard had crashed near Fallujah, Iraq, killing the 22-year-old and all eight other soldiers aboard.
The cause of the crash is under investigation, according to Department of Defense officials.
"He was just an all-around good fellow," Mr. Johnson, a National Guardsman, said through tears. "And I'm going to miss him a lot."
Spc. Johnson, whom everyone simply called Nate, was born in Camden, N.J., on March 15, 1981. Mr. Johnson said that his only son lived the first nine years of his life in Camden with his mother and her three other children before coming to live with his father in Augusta.
Two years ago, Spc. Johnson graduated from Glenn Hills High School. During his four years of high school, he played football and was a four-year member of the Naval Junior ROTC, Mr. Johnson said.
He also loved to play video games and was an active member of the City of Refuge Christ Learning Center in Hephzibah, he said.
"He was the best son anybody could have," his father said.
Staff Sgt. Jay Jenkins, who is in charge of the ROTC program at Glenn Hills, described Spc. Johnson as a stellar academic performer, a key person on the ROTC drill team and a well-liked student.
"He was still very close to many people here, so this is devastating," Staff Sgt. Jenkins said. "It didn't matter what he was doing - Nate had a smile on his face."
On Friday school officials made an announcement over the PA system, telling Glenn Hills students about Spc. Johnson's death, which Staff Sgt. Jenkins said was very upsetting to everyone.
Right before he was deployed to Iraq, about seven months ago, Spc. Johnson visited Glenn Hills to see Staff Sgt. Jenkins and other ROTCcadets.
"He talked a little bit (about going to Iraq)," Staff Sgt. Jenkins said. "But he was one of those carefree individuals. I don't even think he thought about what he would be doing. He just wanted to serve his country."
Mr. Johnson also said his son had no real feelings about going to war.
"He said he was't scared. And when he got there he said it wasn't that bad," Mr. Johnson said.
In one of their last conversations, Mr. Johnson said his son even asked him to have his car painted before he returned.
"And he wanted me to attach a note that said, 'Thanks for taking care of my car,"' he said.
Other soldiers from the crash have been identified. They are: Chief Warrant Officer Aaron Weaver, 32, of Inverness, Fla.; Chief Warrant Officer Philip A. Johnson Jr., 31, of Alabama; Chief Warrant Officer Ian D. Manuel, 23, of Florida; Staff Sgt. Craig Davis, 37, of Opelousas, La.; Spc. Michael A. Diraimondo, 22, of Simi Valley, Calif.; Sgt. 1st Class Gregory B. Hicks, 35, of Duff, Tenn.; and Spc. Christopher A. Golby, 26, of Johnstown, Pa.
Associated Press reports were used in this article.
Local soldiers
Area soldiers who have died in Iraq:
JAN. 8, 2004: Spc. Nathaniel H. Johnson, 22, of Augusta, was assigned to Company D (Aviation), 82nd Support Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division based at Fort Bragg, N.C. He and eight other soldiers were killed when their UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter crashed near Fallujah.
NOV. 23, 2003: Command Sgt. Maj. Jerry Wilson, 45, of Thomson, was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division, based at Fort Campbell, Ky. He and another soldier were killed as they traveled from one company location to another in the city of Mosul. Two individuals involved in the attack were taken into custody by military authorities, officials said.
OCT. 28, 2003: Pvt. Algernon "Al" Adams, of North Augusta, was assigned to the South Carolina Army National Guard's 122nd Engineer Battalion, based in Edgefield. He died of a gunshot wound near Fallujah, officials said.
MARCH 2003: Sgt. George E. Buggs, 31, of Barnwell, S.C., was assigned to 3rd Division Support Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division, based at Fort Stewart. Sgt. Buggs was listed as missing until April 5, when Defense Department officials confirmed that he died after his convoy, which included Pfc. Jessica Lynch, was ambushed near Nasiriyah on March 23.
Sources: Department of Defense, staff reports
Reach Dena Levitz at (706) 823-3339 or dena.levitz@augustachronicle.com.
