General Johnson, a native of Crawfordsville, Indiana, graduated from Crawfordsville High School in 1933 and then from Wabash College in 1938 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

His military career began in January 1941 when he entered the Army Air Corps, taking primary and basic flying training at Darr Aero Tech, Glenview, Illinois, and Gunter Field, Montgomery, Alabama. Upon completion of flying training, he served as a pilot instructor for a few months and was then sent to Turner Field, Georgia, as a twin-engine flying instructor, and later becoming a flying training squadron commander.

His next assignment came in July 1942 when he was named Group Operations Officer with the Advanced Twin-Engine Flying School, Blytheville, Arkansas. Two years later he attended B-17 transition school at Lockbourne Air Base, Ohio, followed by B-29 training at McCook, Nebraska. In January 1945 General Johnson left for North Field, Tinian, as Operations Officer for the 1st Bomb Squadron, 9th Bomb Group. While on Tinian, he took part in the first low-altitude fire bombing missions against Tokyo. Later, he was reassigned to the 313th Bomb Wing and became responsible for theater training for the atomic bomb crews of the 509th Composite Group. This was followed by his advancement to Director of Operations, 313th Bomb Wing.

In October 1945 he was lead aircraft commander of a flight of three B-29’s flying from Guam to Washington, D. C., via Karachi, India, and Frankfurt, Germany. Upon his arrival in the United States, he was assigned to Second Air Force, Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he stayed until December 1946. He then left the service until his recall to active duty in September 1948. His first assignment upon recall was to Twentieth Air Force, Guam, as the Director of Flying Safety, and then as the Inspector General of the same unit. From July 1949 until January 1950 he commanded the 93rd Bomb Squadron, also on Guam, and then became the Director of Operations of the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Group, Fairfield-Suisun AFB, California.

In rapid succession he moved to Commander of the 23rd Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, to the Chief of Maintenance of the 54th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing and then to the Director of Material position for the 5th Bomb Wing. In June 1954 he was reassigned to the Air War College graduating in June of the following year.

In July 1955 he was assigned to the Policy Division of the Directorate of Personnel Planning, Headquarters, USAF, Washington, D. C. During his four year tour of duty in the Pentagon, he worked on major personnel legislation. From July through November 1959 he attended B-52 Transition School at Castle AFB, California.