Brian Johnson was born November 20, 1935 in Fairfield, Maine. He served both in the United States Army and the Texas National Guard. He attended the Army Primary Helicopter School at Fort Wolters, Texas where he was certified to operate rotary wing aircraft. He went to work for Air America on May 3, 1966 where he eventually became Assistant Chief Pilot, Rotary Wing and was stationed in Saigon. He resigned from Air America October 1, 1974.