Royal C. Johnson | |
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| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromSouth Dakota's2nd district | |
| In office March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1933 | |
| Preceded by | Charles H. Burke |
| Succeeded by | Theodore B. Werner |
| 8thAttorney General of South Dakota | |
| In office 1911–1915 | |
| Governor | Robert S. Vessey Frank M. Byrne |
| Preceded by | S. Wesley Clark |
| Succeeded by | Clarence C. Caldwell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Royal Cleaves Johnson October 3, 1882 Cherokee, Iowa, U.S. |
| Died | August 2, 1939(1939-08-02) (aged 56) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Alma mater | University of South Dakota School of Law |
| Occupation | Attorney |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Rank |  Captain |
| Unit | Company K, 313th Infantry,79th Division |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | |
Royal Cleaves Johnson (October 3, 1882 – August 2, 1939) was a U.S. Representative fromSouth Dakota and a highly decorated veteran ofWorld War I while he was still a member of Congress. Despite voting againstUnited States declaration of war on Germany, he took a leave of absence from Congress to enlist. He became a highly decorated veteran receiving theDistinguished Service Cross from the United States government. He also received theWar Cross 1914–1918 from the French government.
Royal Cleaves Johnson was born inCherokee, Iowa in 1882. He moved with his parents toHighmore, South Dakota in 1883, and attended the public schools. He graduated from theUniversity of South Dakota School of Law in 1906, and was admitted to the bar that same year.
He started his practice in Highmore. He became the assistant state's attorney forHyde County in 1906, and State's Attorney in 1908 and 1909. In 1910, he became theAttorney General of South Dakota. In 1913, he moved toAberdeen, South Dakota and returned to private practice. He was elected to theUnited States House of Representatives in 1915, serving through the end of the Seventy-Second Congress in 1932. He was the chairman for theCommittee on Expenditures in the Department of War (1921–1925), and the Committee on World War Veteran's Legislation (1929–1932). He was not a candidate for reelection in 1932.
In 1918, even though he had on April 5, 1917, voted against declaring war on Germany, he absented himself from the Congress and enlisted in theUnited States Army to fight in World War I. He served in the 313th Infantry Regiment as aprivate,sergeant,second lieutenant, andfirst lieutenant. In Montfaucon, France, on the 26th and 27 September 1918, he was involved in a combat situation wherein he repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire and was wounded by an exploding shell. Although severely wounded, he accompanied two of his fellow soldiers to the rear and refused space in an ambulance until his comrades were cared for. For this, he received theDistinguished Service Cross from the United States government, the citation for which reads:
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to First Lieutenant (Infantry) Royal Cleaves Johnson, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 313th Infantry Regiment, 79th Division, A.E.F., at Montfaucon, France, September 26–27, 1918. Lieutenant Johnson constantly exposed himself to the enemy fire during the action at Montfaucon, setting an example to his men by his fearlessness. When severely wounded by shell fire, he assisted two wounded men of his company to the rear and refused to occupy space in the ambulance until these men had been provided for.[1]
He also received theCroix de Guerre with gold star from the Republic ofFrance.
After Johnson returned from the war, he resumed his seat in Congress. Johnson was the House sponsor of legislation to create a federal charter forThe American Legion. The Senate co-sponsor was Sen.Josiah Wolcott of Delaware. The bill was filed on June 27, 1919, passed the House on August 27, passed the Senate on September 5 and was signed by President Wilson on September 16, 1919.[2]
In 1930, in a speech before theUS War Policies Commission, Johnson advocated for legislation that called for the mandatory conscription of "everything", including all private property and all United States citizens, should war be declared. The proposal was intended to address war profiteering, in solidarity with members of the American armed forces.
Upon retiring from the House, Johnson continued to practice law inWashington, D.C., until his death there in 1939. He was buried atArlington National Cemetery.[3] In 1953 he was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Medal by The American Legion.[4]
The Veterans Administration hospital inSioux Falls, South Dakota, The Royal C. Johnson Veterans Memorial Medical Center, is named in his honor.
Johnson's awards and decorations included the following:
| U.S. military decorations | |
 | Distinguished Service Cross |
| U.S. nonmilitary decorations | |
  | World War I Victory Medal (with two bronzeservice stars) |
| Foreign military decorations | |
 | War Cross 1914–1918 (France) |
| Party political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Republican nominee forAttorney General of South Dakota 1910, 1912 | Succeeded by |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by | Attorney General of South Dakota 1911–1915 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | United States Representative (2nd District) for South Dakota 1915–1933 | Succeeded by |
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| Twoat-large seats (1889–1913) |
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| Districts (1913–1983) |
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| One at-large seat (1983–present) |
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| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
