PLANO (WBAP/KLIF)- Sam Johnson, who was a conservative Texas Congressman and an Air Force pilot held captive for almost seven years in the Vietnam War, died Wednesday at a hospital in Plano. He was 89.
The cause was not announced but it was confirmed it was not related to the coronavirus pandemic.
Johnson represented a district that included Plano and he was the oldest member of congress when he retired in 2019.
Johnson was considered one of the most conservative members of the House of Representatives and helped found the Conservative Action Team.
Johnson was elected to Congress in 1991 and vowed to stay a maximum of 12 years, but eventually served more than double that.
North Texas leaders mourned Johnson’s passing Wednesday.
“Congressman Johnson will forever be enshrined as the embodiment of an American hero and has given our next generation a role model to emulate,” Congressman Van Taylor wrote in a statement. “I am blessed to have known Sam and to have been able to learn so much from him. His family and loved ones are in our thoughts and prayers during this time.”
President George W. Bush shared his condolences in a statement Wednesday night, saying in part,
“Laura and I join our community in giving thanks for the life of Sam Johnson. He served our country with dignity for nearly thirty years in the United States Congress…Laura and I are grateful for this man of humility and patriotism, and we take comfort knowing that he is with his beloved wife, Shirley, again.”
U.S. Senator John Cornyn said “every step Sam took was for others”:
“Throughout his long life of service, every step Sam took was for others, from serving the nation in the U.S. Air Force to serving North Texans in Congress. I hope his many loved ones can take comfort in the fact that Sam is now reunited with his beloved wife Shirley, and in the knowledge of the countless lives he made better through selfless sacrifice for others.”
Gov. Greg Abbott called Johnson “a fearless patriot and an American hero”:
“As a congressman, Sam Johnson served with integrity and was always guided by his principles and the needs of the Texans he served. Today, we mourn the loss of a great Texan, but we also remember his tremendous life and the legacy he leaves behind. Cecilia and I offer our prayers to his family and friends, and we ask all Texans to join us in remembering a true Texas icon.”
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton extolled Johnson’s “tireless” service to Texans:
“As a patriot, Sam served in our nation’s military during wars in Korea and Vietnam. Following his decorated military career, he tirelessly served the people of Texas and this nation as a member of Congress. I am proud to have known Sam Johnson and humbled to have called him my dear friend.”
Former Texas State Senator and Plano Mayor Florence Shapiro said Johnson spoke what he believed whether others agreed or not:
“It was his vision and his desire to participate in the process and his belief that his ideals and his values were important,” said former Texas State Senator and Plano Mayor Florence Shapiro. “Too often in politics we see people that say things for political purposes but don’t follow through. Sam Johnson left a legacy of being honest and above board and talked the talk and walked the walk.”
