Honorable Warrior: General Harold K. Johnson and the Ethics of Command

A man of extraordinary inner strength and patriotic devotion, General Harold K. Johnson was a soldier's officer, loved by his men and admired by his peers for his leadership, courage, and moral convictions. Lewis Sorley's biography provides a fitting testament to this remarkable man, who rose from obscurity to become LBJ's Army Chief of Staff during the Vietnam War.

A native of North Dakota, Johnson survived more than three grueling years as a POW under the Japanese during World War II before serving brilliantly as a field commander in the Korean War, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for "extraordinary heroism." These experiences led to a series of high-level positions culminating in his appointment as Army chief in 1964 and were the subject of a cover story in Time magazine.

What followed should have been the most rewarding period of Johnson's military career. Instead, it proved to be a nightmare, as he quickly became mired in the politics and ordeal of a very misguided war.
Johnson fundamentally disagreed with the three men running our war in Vietnam: LBJ, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, and General William Westmoreland. He was sharply critical of LBJ's piecemeal policy of gradual escalation and failure to mobilize the national will or call up the reserves. He was equally despondent over Westmoreland's now infamous search-and-destroy tactics and reliance on body counts to measure success in Vietnam.

By contrast, Johnson advocated greater emphasis on cutting the North's supply lines, helping the South Vietnamese provide for their own internal defenses, and sustaining a legitimate government in the South. Unheeded, he nevertheless continued to work behind the scenes to correct the flawed approach of the United States to the war.
Sorley's study adds immeasurably to our understanding of the Vietnam War. It also provides an inspiring account of principled leadership at a time when the American military is seeking to recover the kind of moral values exemplified by Harold K. Johnson. As such, it presents a profound morality tale for our own era.

Harold K. Johnson (1912-1983)

A professional soldier, who became Chief of Staff of the United States Army in 1965, General Harold Johnson was the youngest man to hold the position since General Douglas MacArthur.

Johnson was born in Bowesmont, North Dakota, in 1912. He graduated from Grafton High School in 1929, and West Point Military Academy in 1933.

Captain Johnson was operations officer for the 57th Infantry in Manila, prior to the Pearl Harbor attack by Japan. The 57th was ordered to Bataan where the Japanese were engaged. Johnson was promoted to major and then lieutenant colonel and given command of the battalion. After a surrender to the superior Japanese force, Johnson and the 57th were forced on the Bataan Death March, which claimed 8,150 prisoners.

Johnson saw combat again in Korea, emerging from the conflict a full colonel. In 1956, he was made a brigadier general. In 1957, Johnson was named Chief of Staff of the US Seventh Army in Germany. General Johnson was chosen Chief of Staff to NATO's Central Army Group in West Germany in 1959. In 1964, General Johnson was named Chief of Staff of the US Army and was awarded his fourth star.

About the Author

Lewis Sorley is a third-generation West Point graduate who served in Vietnam as executive officer of a tank battalion. Formerly on the faculty at West Point and the Army War College, he is the author of Thunderbolt: General Creighton Abrams and the Army of His Times.

Website Links:

Arlington Cemetery