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First Name
Kenneth
Middle Name
R.
Last Name
Johnson
Birthdate
Hometown
Minneapolis, MN
Rank
Lieutenant Colonel
Service Branch
Air Force
Date Captured
Date Repatriated
Pre Capture Image
PreCapture Description
Ken Johnson graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy and received his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force on June 7, 1961. Lieutenant Johnson next completed Undergraduate Pilot Training and was awarded his pilot wings at Moody AFB, Georgia, followed by F-100 Super Sabre Combat Crew Training. His first assignment was as an F-100 pilot with the 494th Tactical Fighter Squadron at RAF Lakenheath, England, and then as an F-100 pilot with the 510th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Bien Hoa AB, South Vietnam. Captain Johnson next served as an F-100 pilot and as a Staff Operations Officer with the 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing at Bien Hoa, followed by service as an O-1 Bird Dog Forward Air Controller and Air Liaison Officer with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. His next assignment was as an F-5 Freedom Fighter Instructor Pilot training international personnel with the 425th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron at Williams AFB, Arizona, and then as an F-4 Phantom II pilot with the 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Udorn Royal Thai AFB, Thailand, from September 1971 until he was forced to eject over North Vietnam and was taken as a Prisoner of War on December 18, 1971.
Post Release Image
Post Release Description
Major Johnson was released during “Operation Homecoming” on March 14, 1973. He then served as an F-104 Starfighter Instructor Pilot, training West German pilots with the 69th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron at Luke AFB, Arizona, followed by service as an F-4 Phantom II pilot with the 81st and 480th Tactical Fighter Squadrons and as Wing Plans Officer for the 52nd Tactical Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem AB, West Germany. After completing French Language School with the Defense Language Institute at Monterey, California, Lieutenant Colonel Johnson served as an Air Liaison Officer with the 602nd Tactical Air Control Wing at Fort Ord, California, and then as an Air Force Liaison Officer at Tunis, Tunisia. Lieutenant Colonel Johnson’s final assignment was as Commander of Detachment 5, 507th Tactical Air Control Wing, at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, until his retirement from the Air Force on February 1, 1985. After that, he held positions with Boeing Vertol, which is now part of the American aircraft manufacturer's division responsible for defense and aerospace products and services. He also worked for American Bonanza Society and the Flight Safety Corp. Ken Johnson died on August 29, 2015, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Honors, Citations, and Commendations
- Distinguished Flying Cross (2)
- Silver Star
- Bronze Star (2)
- Air Medals (15)
- Air Force Commendations (2)
- Purple Hearts (2)
Passed away before release
Post Release