 In 1942, Johnson enlisted in the US Army Air Corps and served as a P-47 Thunderbolt pilot with the 57th Group's, 66th Fighter Squadron, in North Africa and Italy.He completed 180 combat missions and was awarded the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, four Distinguished Flying Crosses and fourteen Air Medals.The F-86A set its first official world speed record of 671 miles per hour (1,080 km/h) on September 15, 1948 at Muroc Dry Lake flown by Major Richard L. Johnson, USAF.