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User:Rob9980/sandbox/HKJohnson

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Harold K. Johnson
Johnson as the Chief of Staff of the United States Army c. 1965
Nickname(s)Johnny
Keith
Olaf
Born(1912-02-22)22 February 1912
Bowesmont, North Dakota, United States
Died24 September 1983(1983-09-24) (aged 71)
Washington, D.C., United States
Buried
Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, United States
Allegiance United States
Branch United States Army
Years of service1933–1968
Rank General
Service number0-19187
Unit Infantry Branch
Commands
Battles / wars
Awards
Alma mater
Spouse(s)
Dorthy Rennix
​
(m. 1935⁠–⁠1983)​
Children3

Harold Keith Johnson (22 February 1912 – 24 September 1983) was a general in the United States Army who served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1964 to 1968.

A native of North Dakota and 1933 graduate of the United States Military Academy, Johnson was an Infantry officer with a unique tactical prowess. After excelling in company level assignments at Fort Snelling in Minnesota and Fort Niagara in New York, Johnson was transferred to the Philippines in 1940, joining the 57th Infantry Regiment of the Philippine Scouts. During World War II, he served as operations and training officer for the regiment, before commanding the regiment's third battalion during the Battle of Bataan. Forced into surrender after the fall of Bataan, Johnson survived the Bataan Death March and three subsequent years in captivity eventually emerging as a temporary colonel.

After his liberation from Inchon, South Korea, Johnson returned to the United States to attend the Command and General Staff College. Graduating with top marks in 1947, he was retained by the school as an instructor, lecturing on operations, training, and the use of combined arms. He next studied at the Armed Forces Staff College, again graduating with top marks.

Returning to troop duty in 1950 with the 7th Infantry Regiment at Fort Devens, Massachusetts



During the Korean War, Johnson assembled a cadre from the 7th Infantry Regiment into the 1st Provisional Infantry Battalion, destined for the Far East.

Arriving in August of 1950, Johnson's battalion was incorporated into the depleted 8th Cavalry Regiment of the 1st Cavalry Division.

Designated the regiment's third battalion, Johnson led the battalion until November of 1950, seeing combat in the Battle of the Pusan Perimeter, the breakout from the Pusan Perimeter, and the Invasion of North Korea.

He then took temporary command of the 5th Cavalry Regiment during the drive for the Yalu River.

Johnson and the 5th Cavalry Regiment retreated alongside the rest of the Eighth Army in December 1950 following the Chinese Second Phase Offensive, falling back deep into South Korea.

Reassigned to the recently destroyed 8th Cavalry Regiment during the retreat, Johnson would successfully rebuild the regiment and lead it into action, taking part in many of the small scale counterattacks launched by Matthew Ridgway.

Detached from the 8th Cavalry Regiment again in February, Johnson would next serve as the assistant chief of staff for operations of I Corps, serving successively under Frank W. Milburn and John W. O'Daniel until October 1951, when he requested to be rotated back to the United States at the end of his tour.

Upon his return to the United States, Johnson was detailed to the operations section of Army Field Forces.


Johnson retired to ()

Early life

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West Point yearbook photo c. 1933

Johnson was born on 22 February 1912 in Bowesmont, North Dakota, the son of Harold Cecil (?–?) and Edna May (Thomson) Johnson (?–?).[1]

Johnson attended school

John P. McConnell

Early career

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Johnson was first assigned as a ()

Fort Snelling

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Fort Niagara

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World War II

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Chester L. Johnson

William E. Brougher

Philippines campaign

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George S. Clarke.

Arnold J. Funk.

John E. Olson.

Imprisonment

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Cabanatuan

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Hell ships

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Liberation

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Alva R. Fitch

Continued career

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Korean War

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John S. Guthrie

(Battalion command - placeholder)

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Pusan Perimeter

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(Regimental command - placeholder)

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Major General Bryant Moore (left) and Colonel Johnson (right)

(I Corps staff - placeholder)

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When Matthew Ridgway arrived in Korea to assume command of the Eighth Army in December of 1950, he toured his subordinate units to evaluate their condition and gauge their commanders. After a subpar visit to John B. Coulter's IX Corps, Ridgway next traveled to the headquarters of Frank W. Milburn's I Corps. Although Ridgway considered Milburn a friend and a good troop leader, he felt that Milburn lacked the requisite "spark of initiative" for a corps commander.[2] Furthermore, Ridgway found that I Corps staff had been badly shaken by the repulse they had suffered. After attending a briefing by Colonel John R. Jeter, the assistant chief of staff for operations (G-3), in which Jeter failed to produce plans for offensive action, Ridgway began the process of replacing the "defeatist" Jeter.[3] Jeter's relief angered the remaining staff of I Corps, with most feeling that Jeter was complying with instructions from Milburn, Eighth Army, and Tokyo to plan defensively. The relief would also spell professional ruin for Jeter, a well liked and combat hardened veteran of the European campaigns of World War II.[4]

Later career

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8th Infantry Division

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In January 1956, Johnson was promoted to brigadier general and assigned as the Assistant Division Commander of the 8th Infantry Division, then stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado.[5] Major General Thomas M. Watlington, then in command of the division,


Thomas M. Watlington

[6]

Philip F. Lindeman

Ellis W. Williamson

Operation Gyroscope

General Watlington would be reassigned from the division in (month here) 1957, leaving Johnson in temporary command of the division. In reflecting upon his time serving under Watlington, Johnson would


, until the arrival of Major General Philip F. Lindeman.

General Watlington would leave the division in (month here) 1957, leaving Johnson in temporary command of the 8th Infantry Division.

Johnson had assessed Watlington as "very strict, he established very high standards, he expected conformance, he was impatient, he was top within the unit."[6]

Seventh Army and United States Army Europe

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Clyde D. Eddleman

Command and General Staff College

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Lionel C. McGarr

Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations

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Earle Wheeler

Chief of Staff of the United States Army

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(caption here)

Aviation

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See also: Johnson-McConnell agreement of 1966

Dominican Civil War

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Bruce Palmer Jr.

Sergeant Major of the Army

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William O. Wooldridge

Vietnam War

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Mobilization

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PROVN study

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Relationship with General Westmoreland

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Tactics and strategy

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(caption here)

Retirement

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Later life

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Death and burial

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Johnson's grave at Arlington National Cemetery

Legacy

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Joseph Richards Essig's portrait of General Johnson

[7]

Family

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Dorthy Johnson

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Children

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Donald V. Bennett

Awards

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American awards

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Foreign awards

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Distinguished Service Cross citation

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Effective dates of promotion (partially done)

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Johnson's effective dates of promotion were:

Second Lieutenant, (Regular Army), 13 June 1933[8]
First Lieutenant, (Regular Army), 13 June 1936[8]
Captain, (Army of the United States), 9 September 1940[8]
Major, (Army of the United States), 19 December 1941[8]
Lieutenant Colonel, (Army of the United States), 7 April 1942[8]
Captain, (Regular Army), 13 June 1943[8]
Colonel, (Army of the United States), 2 September 1945[8]
Lieutenant Colonel, (Army of the United States), 30 April 1946 (reverted from temporary Colonel)[9]
Major, (Regular Army), 15 July 1948[9]
Lieutenant Colonel, (Regular Army), 28 July 1950[10]
Colonel, (Army of the United States), 30 December 1950[10]
Brigadier General, (Army of the United States), 1 January 1956[11]
Colonel, (Regular Army),
Major General, (Army of the United States),
Brigadier General, (Regular Army),
Major General, (Regular Army),
Lieutenant General, (Army of the United States),
General, (Army of the United States),
General, (retired), 3 July 1968[12]

Works by Johnson

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References

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  1. ^ Sorley 1999, p. 1.
  2. ^ Blair 1987, p. 572.
  3. ^ Blair 1987, p. 574.
  4. ^ Blair 1987, pp. 574–575.
  5. ^ Sorley 1999, p. 116.
  6. ^ a b Sorley 1999, p. 122.
  7. ^ Krisman 1984, p. 121.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g The Adjutant General's Office 1946, p. 358.
  9. ^ a b Cullum 1950, p. 792.
  10. ^ a b The Adjutant General's Office 1951, p. 344.
  11. ^ The Adjutant General's Office 1956, p. 432.
  12. ^ Cullum 1969, p. 865.

Sources

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Books

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  • Blair, Clay (12 December 1987). The Forgotten War: America in Korea, 1950. Times Books. ISBN 0812916700.
  • Cullum, George W. (1950). Branham, Charles E. (ed.). Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Vol. IX. West Point, NY: Association of Graduates of the United States Military Academy. p. 792 – via West Point Digital Library.
  • Cullum, George W. (1969). Register of Graduates and Former Cadets of the United States Military Academy. Association of Graduates of the United States Military Academy. p. 865 – via Google Books.
  • Sorley, Lewis (1999). Honorable Warrior: General Harold K. Johnson and the Ethics of Command. Lawrence, Kans.: University Press of Kansas. ISBN 0700608869. OCLC 38043059.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ___location missing publisher (link)
  • The Adjutant General's Office (1946). Official Army Register. Washington, D.C.: US Government Printing Office. p. 358 – via Internet Archive.
  • The Adjutant General's Office (1951). Official Army Register. Washington, D.C.: US Government Printing Office. p. 344 – via Internet Archive.
  • The Adjutant General's Office (1956). Official Army Register. Vol. 1. Washington, D.C.: US Government Printing Office. p. 432 – via Internet Archive.

Internet

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Magazines

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Newspapers

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Further reading

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Military offices
Preceded by Chief of Staff of the United States Army
1964–1968 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations
1963–1964 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Commandant of the Command and General Staff College
1960–1963 		Succeeded by
Harry J. Lemley Jr.
Preceded by Commanding General of the 8th Infantry Division
(acting)
1957 		Succeeded by
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