Private First Class Johnson was a member of Detachment 1, 32nd Air Navy Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO), 1st Marine Division. He was listed as Missing in Action while fighting the enemy in Korea on 30 November 1950. He was presumed dead on 7 December 1953. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.

For his leadership and valor, Private First Class Johnson was awarded the Silver Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Korean War Service Medal.