Forty-eight years have passed since Sgt. Johnny Vent Johnson made the ultimate sacrifice for his country.

As a medic serving the 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army, Johnson was stationed in PleiKu, Vietnam on Nov. 22, 1969. He died after running head-on into an ambush to aid other injured soldiers. He continued to treat casualties until overcome by his wounds. He was only 22 at the time of his death, and received the Silver Star posthumously.

On Monday, Johnson was one of more than 200 soldiers honored during a Paver Dedication Ceremony at the National Infantry Museum, where loved ones, comrades and elected officials gathered under the blazing sun…