La David and Jeremiah Johnson were inserted with US Army Green Berets, contractors, and local Nigerien forces on a mission to track down and capture/kill a high-ranking Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) commander. After the task force was unable to locate the commander, they began their journey back to base. Along the way, they stopped at the border-village of Tongo Tongo at 1030h (local time) to let their Nigerien allies have breakfast. Initially meant to be a brief stop, the stay dragged on as the team began meeting various village leaders and residents. This seemingly innocent delay would eventually lead to tragedy as local insurgent forces got word of the task force’s presence. 

At 1135h, the convoy began departing Tongo Tongo village when it was ambushed by a large insurgent force (the official size of the ISGS force is unknown, but estimates range from 50-100+ fighters – the allied soldiers were severely outgunned and outnumbered by about 3:1). The militants, equipped with a dozen technicals, over 20 motorbikes, small arms, heavy machine guns, and RPGs, attacked the rear of the American convoy and encircled it from all directions.

Chaos erupted as the two opposing forces began exchanging high volumes of fire in all directions. To adequately cover their flanks, the American and Nigerien units had to spread out and engage multiple squads of enemy insurgents. At this point, one Nigerien vehicle fled the battle – causing allied forces to be outnumbered further.

As the battle raged on, it claimed the lives of four Americans, including La David and Jeremiah Johnson. After an hour of combat, Sgt. 1st Class Jeremiah Johnson was killed while laying down cover fire for allied troops. Sgt. La David Johnson died later after getting separated from his squad. In a heroic last-stand, La David Johnson used a machine gun and sniper rifle before retreating and eventually being discovered and killed by the insurgents. His body was not found two days later under a tree by children tending cattle – he had died nearly a mile away from the initial ambush site.

Although tragic, the deaths of La David and Jeremiah Johnson weren’t in vain. Their actions helped delay the advance of insurgent forces until French and Nigerien forces could arrive to repel the attack and evacuate survivors.

The ambush had claimed the lives of nine American and Nigerien allies – a number that would have likely been much higher had it not been for the actions of La David and Jeremiah Johnson. The ambush is the deadliest event for US Army soldiers since the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu (more commonly known as Black Hawk Down).

After the Pentagon’s investigation into the ambush, Sgt. 1st Class Jeremiah Johnson was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Valor, while Sgt. La David Johnson was given the Silver Star. Pentagon officials recognized La David and Jeremiah Johnson’s heroic actions during the ambush, stating that they “made their last stand and fought to the end.” 

La David and Jeremiah Johnson were also named honorary Green Berets for their actions in the ambush, making them the 11th and 12th people in history to receive such a posthumous designation. 

While they might be gone from this life, both heroes have families and children who will carry on their fathers' legacies. Jeremiah Johnson had a wife, Crystal, and two daughters, Addie and Elisa. La David Johnson left behind his wife Myeshia, two children, Ah'Leesya and La David Jr., and one unborn child, La'Shee.