Master Sergeant Johnson was a member of Headquarters Company, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was listed as Missing in Action while fighting the enemy at the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea and later reported as having died in Prisoner of War Camp #5, North Korea from malnutrition.

Johnson was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Prisoner of War Medal, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.