Perdido Key, Ala. – (OBA) – The Perdido Key Area Chamber Foundation and Gulf Islands National Seashore will host the annual Private Rosamond Johnson Memorial Ceremony at Johnson Beach in Perdido Key.

The event honors Private Rosamond Johnson Jr. and celebrates the rich cultural history of the area, according to the Perdido Key Area Chamber of Commerce.

The ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. on May 3, 2025, and marks the 15th anniversary of the annual tribute to the local hero and soldier.

Johnson enlisted in the U.S. Army at just 15 years old. He died at 17 while saving wounded soldiers during a battle on the Korean Peninsula on July 26, 1950.

Private Johnson carried two wounded soldiers to safety before being fatally shot while trying to save a third. He was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously on August 21, 1950.

At the time of Johnson’s death, Pensacola beaches were segregated. A county-leased beach for Black citizens was renamed Rosamond Johnson Beach in his honor.

The beach became part of Gulf Islands National Seashore in 1971, according to the National Park Service. A monument and exhibit at the site honor Johnson’s bravery.

Erin Wilmer, Chair of the Chamber’s Military Affairs Council, said Johnson’s bravery deserves national recognition and praised the community’s ongoing support.

Entrance fees will be waived at Johnson Beach from 8 a.m. to noon on May 3 to honor Private Johnson and his family’s sacrifice during the event.

For the past 15 years, the Perdido Key Area Chamber Foundation has organized the ceremony, welcoming the Johnson family, dignitaries, and the public.

More information about the memorial event is available at www.PerdidoChamber.com.