The papers of Richard J. Johnson are divided into three series: Correspondence, Military Papers, and Photographs.
Correspondence (1936-1950) consists almost entirely of letters exchanged between Johnson and his family during his wartime training and service. The letters from Grace Mikkelsen (his future wife) to Johnson date from a couple years before the war. They mostly document the growing love between the two, though in 1939 Grace writes that she fears America will be drawn into the growing European war and that Johnson will have to fight. Beginning in 1942, after Johnson began training at Fort Lewis, the correspondence expands to include his parents. While stateside, Johnson described his training in Washington and some of the things that they did during their free time, such as go into the city. His wife and parents wrote of the happenings at home, especially the development of Johnson's daughter Nancy. After being shipped over to Europe, Johnson's letters describe, as much as Army censors allowed, his feelings while at war. He described an incident in which he and other members of his regiment went fishing with grenades. In addition, after the censors lifted some restrictions, Johnson sent a letter to his wife (May 15, 1945) in which he described his travels in Europe up to that point, including the battle in which he was wounded and his subsequent trip through Allied hospitals. Letters from his parents and wife continued to focus on Nancy and happenings at home, including some mention of wartime rationing.
Also included in this series is a letter written by Johnson's cousin, Arthur W. Orton, while he served in World War I. The letter describes Orton's stay in a French hospital for pneumonia and also mentions Johnson's parents. The letter, written near Mother's Day, was sent with a YMCA flyer made specifically for soldiers to send home to their families.
Military Papers (1942-1954) consists of miscellaneous documents relating to Johnson's service in World War II. The 7th Armored Division materials include a "box score," which is a poster sized map that shows where the unit had traveled and fought throughout Europe; it also includes relevant statistics about casualties and awards. The military ephemera includes a war-related matchbook and other paper items that Johnson picked up while fighting in Europe. The war rations books come mainly from Johnson's wife and parents, who had to use them during the war. The special orders include the order granting Johnson a Purple Heart.
Photographs (1942-1945) contains over 150 photographs of Johnson and his experiences during his service. The majority of the photographs were taken during Johnson's stateside training at Fort Lewis, near Tacoma, Washington. These photos include many of Johnson, some while in full uniform, wearing a gas mask. Others show some of the men that Johnson trained with, the surroundings of the camp, and general scenery from the Pacific Northwest. Eleven photos depict Johnson at home with his family during his leave in 1943; one can see Johnson with his toddler daughter, Nancy, as well as his wife and parents. Several of the photographs from the European Theater show a long line of German prisoners of war, including some women, being marched to a holding area. European scenery, along with Johnson and his fellow soldiers can be seen in the other photos of that subseries. Finally, the miscellaneous subseries contains some formal portrait-style photographs of Johnson, as well as thirteen unidentified photographs of soldiers loading onto a large ship and sailing on an unknown body of water.
