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By Brenna Hobbs, Alex Adelmund
Collection Overview
Title: Lieutenant Colonel Bruce G. Johnson and Kathleen Johnson Frisbie Collection, 1964-2019
Predominant Dates:1964-1974
ID: 01/043
Primary Creator: Frisbie, Kathleen Johnson (1964-2019)
Extent: 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.
Subjects: Frisbie, Kathleen Johnson
Languages: English
Scope and Contents of the Materials
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.
Collection Historical Note
Kathleen Johnson, also referred to as Kathleen Frisbie or Bonnie, was born on December 13, 1936, in Harbor Beach, Michigan. She earned her Registered Nurses’ license at Harper Hospital School of Nursing in Detroit and married Bruce Johnson in 1958. They had three children, Bruce Jr., Bryan, and Colleen. In 1964, U.S. Army Captain Bruce Johnson was deployed to Vietnam.
On June 10, 1965, Johnson’s helicopter was shot down in South Vietnam during the Battle of Đồng Xoài. He radioed in that all others aboard had been killed and then he disappeared. After the accident, local reports mentioned a man being captured who matched a description of Bruce Johnson. Because of this, it was believed that he had become a prisoner of war. While Johnson was listed as missing, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. Some accounts list him as the fifth U.S. soldier reported missing in Vietnam.
After her husband's disappearance, Kathleen applied for residence at Schilling Manor, a closed Air Force base outside of Salina, Kansas, where families of Vietnam servicemen had built a supportive community. In 1970, she co-founded the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia to advocate for POW/MIAs. She had meetings with President Richard Nixon, made multiple trips to Paris to meet with the North Vietnamese delegation, and maintained regular communication with Senator Bob Dole, who supported efforts to bring attention to Vietnam POW/MIAs. On February 27, 1978, the Secretary of the Army issued a Presumptive Finding of Death for Lt. Col. Bruce Johnson.
In 1979, Kathleen married Robert R. Frisbie (Bob). They were married for 32 years when Frisbie passed away in 2011. When Kathleen passed away on November 4, 2024, in Michigan, she was survived by her three children, ten grandchildren, and 21 great-grandchildren.
Subject/Index Terms
Administrative Information
Repository:
Dole Archive Collections
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.
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.
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: The Johnson Family, 1969-2019],
[
Series 2: International and National Advocacy, 1964-1973],
[
Series 3: Community Advocacy, 1966-2005],
[Series 4: Objects/Ephemera, 1967-1973],
[
All]
- Series 4: Objects/Ephemera, 1967-1973
- Box 8
- Folder 1: Waiting Wives Club Membership Club, 1967 September 19
- Folder 4: Bumper Stickers, undated
- Folder 5: Kathleen Johnson Nametag, undated
- Folder 6: Missing POWs-MIAs Stamps, undated
- Folder 7: Package Label to Bruce Johnson, undated
- Box OVS 1
- Folder 2: National League of Families Pouch [OVS 1], 1970 October 2-4
- Folder 3: Voices in Vital America (VIVA) Record - How Do You Tell A Small Boy and Wake Up America [OVS 1], 1973
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: The Johnson Family, 1969-2019],
[
Series 2: International and National Advocacy, 1964-1973],
[
Series 3: Community Advocacy, 1966-2005],
[Series 4: Objects/Ephemera, 1967-1973],
[
All]
