Milwaukee native Quinn Johnson-Harris, age 21, was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery on November 2. Airman Johnson-Harris died October 2 in Afghanistan when the C-130 cargo plane he was in crashed just after takeoff, killing all 11 on board. He was in the first of a four-month-long deployment to Afghanistan when the crash occurred. Airman Quinn-Harris attended Nicolet High School as a sophomore and junior. He graduated in 2012 from Homestead High School in Mequon. He was a good student and excellent football player, according to friends, former classmates and his football coach. For Airman Johnson-Harris, joining the military was part of a family tradition, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. His grandfather served in Vietnam and his oldest brother, Jeremy Johnson, was a Marine. Older brother Lamar Johnson-Harris, a 2015 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy in West Point is in the Army. Airman Johnson-Harris joined the Air Force in 2013.
Prior to his burial Airman Johnson-Harris returned to Milwaukee one final time. His body arrived at General Mitchell International Airport on October 22 in a flag-draped casket and accompanied by a military escort. Michelle Pitts, president and owner of The New Pitts Mortuary said Airman Johnson-Harris’ mother had requested a “presidential style” funeral for her youngest son and the mortuary coordinated all the arrangements.
Numerous law enforcement agencies escorted his body to The New Pitts Mortuary, 2031 W. Capitol Dr. On October 24 there was a military funeral procession, including the American Legion’s horse-drawn carriage, the City of Milwaukee’s Police Department and the Milwaukee County Sheriff ’s Department. Hundreds of local residents lined the route holding American flags as the “Hero’s Welcome” began at the New Pitts Mortuary and proceeded west on Capitol Drive to the vacant Lowes at 5700 W. Capitol Pkwy.
After unloading the horse and carriage, the military funeral procession continued to Mill Road Shopping Plaza 6410 N. 76th St. The American Legion then reloaded the horse and carriage with the casket and processed north on 76th Street, where a military flyover took place. The procession continued north on 76th Street to Good Hope Road and west on Good Hope Rd., arriving at Christian Faith Fellowship Church, 8633 W. Good Hope Rd. Governor Scott Walker and both U.S. Senators from Wisconsin were among the many dignitaries who attended the memorial service, according to information compiled from the WITI-TV Fox news website.
