Private Johnson was a member of the U.S. Army serving in Korea. He was returning from his tour in Korea in a C-46 Commando transport enroute from Seattle, Washington to Columbia, South Carolina, when it crashed near Bear Lake, 28 miles northeast of Logan, Utah on 7 January 1953 killing all on board.

Johnson was awarded the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Korean War Service Medal.