Brief Description: Kathleen Johnson was the wife of Lieutenant Colonel Bruce G. Johnson, who went missing in Vietnam in 1965. The Lieutenant Colonel Bruce G. Johnson and Kathleen Johnson Frisbie Collection contains materials involving missing Americans, the war in Vietnam, and advocacy for prisoners of war and Americans missing in action in Southeast Asia. Most materials found in the collection fall between 1969-1975. The material found in this collection is diverse in medium and topic, but most of it relates to Kathleen Johnson and various advocacy groups.

The collection is organized narratively and divided into four thematic series that reflect Kathleen Johnson’s involvement with POW/MIA advocacy. The International and National Advocacy series encompasses all national and international advocacy efforts for prisoners of war and Americans missing in action in Southeast Asia, including legislative relations and national and international events and trips. The Community Advocacy series includes materials about specific local advocacy groups; this also includes documentation about specific wives and families who served as advocates. The Johnson Family series encompasses all documentation related to Kathleen, Bruce, and the Johnson children, emphasizing Kathleen Johnson’s individual advocacy work and information about Lt. Col. Johnson’s death. The Objects/Ephemera series includes all objects that are part of the Johnson/Frisbie collection. Together, these series trace the evolution of global, national, local, and personal efforts related to POW/MIA advocacy.

This collection includes materials from several organizations: most prominently, the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia, but also groups like the Forgotten Americans Committee of Kansas (FACK), and Voices in Vital America (VIVA). In addition to these advocacy groups, the collection includes information pertaining to specific events, such as Kathleen Johnson’s trips to Paris, the Freedom Tree Dedication in 1974, and the National Week of Concern for Americans Who Are Prisoners of War or Missing in Action in 1971.

Record Series Number: 01/043

Created by: Frisbie, Kathleen Johnson (1964-2019)

Volume: 7.0 Linear Feet

Arrangement: Materials will mostly be organized chronologically. Correspondence may be arranged alphabetically by last name. Objects and Ephemera will be arranged based on the space available.

Series are defined and arranged by the scale of Kathleen Frisbie’s advocacy, from her and her family's individual struggle to locate and free Lieutenant Colonel Bruce Johnson in “The Johnson Family” series to the much larger scale “International and National Advocacy” series which focuses on Frisbe’s work with the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia and its international efforts. The third series, “Community Advocacy,” contains Frisbie’s communication and advisory work with smaller groups in Kansas and across the country.

Access Restrictions:

Some materials within the Dole Archive are restricted because of their sensitive nature or because they contain personal or confidential information. These records are protected by federal laws such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Examples of restricted records are personnel files, medical records, financial records, and any materials containing personal information such as addresses and social security numbers. Restricted materials are identified at the box and/or folder level within the finding aid. Questions about these materials may be directed to the Senior Archivist of the Dole Archives.

Subject Index

Languages of Materials

Rights/Use Restrictions: Copyright restrictions apply in different ways to different kinds of materials. Many of the documents and other historical materials in the Archive are in the public domain and may be reproduced and used in any way. Senator Dole has not donated her copyright interest in her papers and other historical materials to the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics. Permission to publish must be obtained from her or her designer. There are other materials in the library carrying a copyright interest that must be used according to the provisions of Title 17 of the U.S. Code. The Archive issues a warning concerning copyright restrictions to every researcher who requests copies of documents. Although copyright law is under constant redefinition in the courts, it is the researcher's responsibility to properly use copyrighted materials.