Fernando Nuñez Johnson was born in Panamá City, Panamá in 1945. After his mother married Arliss V. Johnson, an American Navy Man stationed in Panamá, he was adopted along with his two brothers.

He joined the Marine Corp in 1965 where he served for three years in the infantry, from Private to Corporal, serving a tour in Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

While enlisted, he received the National Defense Service Medal for his active duty in Vietnam, Vietnam Campaign Medal for Good Conduct, and received a Rifle Marksmanship, Expert Badge, for his exceptional shooting skills in the infantry.

After the war, he received his American Citizenship, and came to America with his brothers, (and new younger brother), where he studied at UC Berkeley and graduated with a master’s degree in education, Magnum Cum Laude.

He met his wife, Elizabeth, in San Francisco and became an educator in the Oakland Unified School District, working directly under the Superintendent of the district, shaping education for both children and young adults for over 35 years. Johnson and his wife have 11 children and 20 grandchildren and are avid supporters of all veterans and Marines.

They donate to multiple veteran non-profits, as well as religious non-profits, helping children and Marines with disabilities alike. They are valued members of the Roseville, CA community, where they currently reside today.