Department of Defense

Born December 4^th 1873, Odessa Russia

Died February 24^th 1948, San Francisco, CA

Johnson was born in Odessa Russia and educated in military schools. He served three years in the Cossack Calvary and one year in the Russian Navy. He left Russia before he was 20, his exile being attributed to criticism of the Russian regime. He served one year with the Argentinian Republic but was in Hawaii by May 1893 when he enlisted as a full time member of the National Guard. He gave his age as 20 and the citizenship as USA, although when he attained this citizenship it is not given. In 1898 he was a clerk with E.O. Hall and from 1900 to 1908 was with the Territorial Government as a Read Supervisor and Superintendent of the garbage department. In 1909 he moved to Puna, Hawaii and lived at Pahoa. He was a manager of several lumber companies and for a time postmaster of Pahoa.

He returned to Honolulu in 1915 when he was appointed Adjutant General. In 1918 he resigned to accept appointment as a Major in the US Army. His obituary states that he served as Commanding Officer of the Inter-Allied Occupation and Police Force of Vladivostok and Vicinity, and was Provest Marshall of the district with military police detachments of 13 nationalities under his command

After the war he spent some time as a plantation manager in the Philippines and a ranch owner in Texas. From 1925 to 1926 he was a Prohibition Enforcement Officer in San Francisco. He seems to have retired after this and lived in San Francisco until his death.

The information on Johnson is contradictory. For instance his obituary states that he served as a mercenary in the Balkan Armies for several years but records show that he was in Hawaii at age 21 and already had years of Russian service and one in Argentine. It also claims he served in the US army during the Spanish American war but his Hawaii National Guard record shows continuous service from 1893 to 1918. The above information on his career in Hawaii is based on contemporary records and directories. Information on his service after leaving Hawaii is from his obituary the only source available.

Last updated October 1965