Howard Johnson (American football)

Howard White "Smiley" Johnson 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 (1940–1941) seasons. He joined the U.S. 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 Feb. 2, 1949.