Don't Let Me Die Here

Don't Let Me Die Here follows a young Marine in the 1960s who leaves home to fight in the Vietnam War and finds himself caught between duty, love, and the unseen world beyond life. Amid the chaos of combat, he falls in love with a Vietnamese girl-only to discover that her brother is fighting on the opposite side of the war. Their relationship becomes a fragile bridge between enemies, forcing him to confront the humanity on both sides of the conflict.

The story deepens as the Marine experiences moments that blur the line between life and death. He views the world from Heaven, witnesses what it feels like to be dead, and undergoes an out-of-body experience that reveals the spiritual threads connecting all people. Through these encounters, he becomes an unlikely force for unity, helping both sides recognize a shared purpose in the midst of war.

Though a work of fiction, the novel draws on the author's real combat experiences in Vietnam. Readers will gain insight into the realities of war and see actual photographs taken during the author's service, grounding the story's emotion and spirituality in lived truth.

Johnson's writing began as an inspiration from his grandchildren. Raised in Indiana, he served 31 years with the Beech Grove Police Department in central Indiana, retiring as Chief of Police. Before entering law enforcement, he served in the United States Marine Corps and fought as a combat veteran in the Vietnam War-experiences that later shaped his second novel, Don't Let Me Die Here. He credits many influences in his life and writing, including his parents, his wife and family, and Father Vincent Capodanno, whom he met while serving in Vietnam. Johnson and his wife, Vicki, have four grown children and twelve grandchildren, to whom this book is lovingly dedicated.