Remarks Upon Presenting the Distinguished Service Medal to Gen. Harold K. Johnson, Retiring Chief of Staff, USA

General and Mrs. Johnson, Secretary Clifford, distinguished Members of the Congress, Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Bradley, and distinguished guests:

It is not an easy task to award a medal to Johnny Johnson. He already has most of the medals that this country can bestow upon any man. He has been honored by no less than eight foreign countries.

When I finally decided to present him with the highest award that we are allowed to give a man for noncombat service, I found that he already had one of those, too. So this morning we are giving him the Distinguished Service Medal in the form of a First Oak Leaf Cluster.

All the adjectives of honor hardly do justice to Johnny Johnson.

Can "courageous" or "brave" describe a man who held off an overwhelming enemy force at Bataan and then survived the terrible Death March?

Is it enough to call a man "strong" when the doctors in the prison camp said that from a medical standpoint Harold Johnson should not be alive?

Other adjectives might sound strange when applied to a military man. But they really fit General Johnson very well. Words like these: "gentle, faithful, loyal, wise," and--as the thousands of men who have served under him will all testify--"beloved."

Harold Johnson has served his country for 35 long years with a dedication and a strength of character that no adversity could ever weaken.

When he was ordered to bow before his Japanese captors, he replied, "Americans do not bow. They salute, but they do not bow."

General Johnson has been much more than just a battlefield hero. When he took over as Chief of Staff of the Army, he was faced with an awesome task--the task of directing a logistical buildup that has had few parallels in all the history of warfare. What he accomplished in 1965 literally--literally-saved South Vietnam from being cut in two by the enemy. And still he met our demands for forces in other areas of the world all the time, as well as within the United States.

He built and maintained a strong, flexible, ever ready service. He never took any situation for granted. His famous phrase, "Challenge the assertion," has become a catchword throughout the Army.

And the Army from which he retires today is a stronger, a more responsive, and a much more humane service because Johnny Johnson was its leader.

I have great faith that General Westmoreland, who will succeed General Johnson, will continue to provide this same inspired leadership.

General Johnson, your country thanks you. Your country is in your debt. You have given us your best, and it was more than good enough. It was the best that any man could have given.

And with you every step of the way has been a loyal, devoted wife to whom we are all indebted, too.

[Secretary of the Army Stanley R. Resor read the citation, the text of which follows.]

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, has awarded the Distinguished Service Medal (First Oak Leaf Cluster) to

GENERAL HAROLD K. JOHNSON
UNITED STATES ARMY

for exceptionally meritorious service in a position of great responsibility:

General Harold K. Johnson, United States Army, distinguished himself by eminently meritorious service as Chief of Staff, United States Army, from August 1966 to July 1968. General Johnson untiringly guided and directed the United States Army in accomplishing with distinction every aspect of its diverse mission. His outstanding professional ability, breadth of vision, foresight, tenacity and personal integrity were an inspiration to the entire Army. Under his leadership, the United States Army met successfully some of the greatest challenges of its proud history. Most noteworthy was the Army's support of the accelerated buildup and deployment of forces to Southeast Asia concurrent with meeting other heavy demands overseas and in the continental United States. During this period the Active Army grew by more than one-quarter million men, and the Reserve Components were reorganized into a viable, ready force, responsive to strategic requirements. Through his perceptive direction and energetic follow-through of a comprehensive Army study program, General Johnson left a strong personal imprint on the Army logistic structure, the Army school system, Army tactical mobility, Army resource management, and doctrines and concepts in the broad area of land warfare. General Johnson was particularly concerned with the people in the Army, and he devoted himself untiringly to the needs of the individual. He accorded the highest priority to assuring that every soldier was superbly trained, that each had the opportunity to contribute to the full extent of his ability to the Army mission, and that each would be a better citizen as the result of his Army training and experience. General Johnson's objectivity and sound judgment have won for him the admiration and respect of seniors, contemporaries, and subordinates alike. His exceptional leadership, marked by complete dedication and loyalty, and his sense of fairness, understanding, and consideration of others earned him respect throughout the Government. He demanded of himself excellence and effective performance; in others he inspired it. Above all, he was a team player, and he led the Army as a team toward a common goal--service to country. A grateful nation recognizes that General Johnson's long and distinguished career during more than thirty-five years of devoted duty is in the finest traditions of the military profession. His selfless and dedicated service to the United States reflects the highest credit upon himself, the Army and his country.

LYNDON B. JOHNSON