Howard Johnson (American football)

Howard Johnson

File:Smiley Johnson Field (thumbnail).jpg Marines gather around the sign denoting the dedication of Smiley Johnson Field on Maui.
Date of birth	(1916-09-22)September 22, 1916
Place of birth	Murfreesboro, Tennessee, United States
Date of death
Place of death	Iwo Jima, Japan †
Career information
Position(s)	Guard
College	Georgia
Career history
As player
1940-1941	Green Bay Packers
Career stats
Playing stats at DatabaseFootball.com
Military career
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Marine Corps
Years of service	1942–1945
Rank	First Lieutenant
Unit	Marine Division 20px 23rd Marines
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of Kwajalein Battle of Saipan Battle of Tinian Battle of Iwo Jima
Awards	2x Silver Star

Howard White "Smiley" Johnson (September 22, 1916 – February 19, 1945) was a professional American football offensive lineman in the National Football League. He played the 1937, 1938 and 1939 college football seasons at the University of Georgia before joining the Green Bay Packers for the 1940 and 1941 seasons. He joined the United States Marine Corps in 1942 and served with I Company, 3rd Battalion, 23rd Marines of the 4th Marine Division through the battles of Kwajalein, Saipan (earning a Silver Star), and Tinian. On February 19, 1945, 1st Lieutenant Johnson was killed in action at the Battle of Iwo Jima, and awarded a second Silver Star posthumously. He was buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 2, 1949.