The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Army Distinguished Service Medal to General Harold Keith Johnson (ASN: 0-19187), United States Army, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of the United States, in a duty of great responsibility, during the period from July 1964 to July 1966. As Chief of Staff, United States Army, during this period, General Johnson played a key role in the rapid expansion of the Army to meet the Communist threat in Vietnam while ensuring the Army’s ability to fulfill its many other commitments throughout the world. As the principal military advisor to the Secretary of the Army, he has provided a responsive, dynamic, and creative contribution to the solution of the numberless problems associated with a critical period of our Nation. Under his superb direction, the Army’s combat training program was significantly accelerated, and the logistical effort was geared to meet the requirements of newly-activated units and the growing number of troops in Vietnam. The complexities of the problems which confronted him during this critical period were compounded by the unexpected requirement for the United States Army to respond quickly to the call for troops in the Dominican Republic. In these and all aspects of the Army’s diverse operations, General Johnson has taken an intense personal interest in every activity and in the welfare of each officer and enlisted man. His efforts have consistently been aimed at putting the personal into personnel, and his concern for the individual soldier has endeared him to all members of the Army. General Johnson’s extraordinary service to country will have a lasting impact not only on the Army but on all our citizens, and his exceptional achievements reflect the highest credit upon himself, the United States Army, and the military service.