Norman Johnson was born on January 22, 1897 in Fort Valley, Georgia. Before joining the Air Mail Service, he spent 18 months as a field chief for Liberty Motors. Although Johnson had less flying experience than most applicants (just 217 hours officially), he had a strength most other pilots did not have. Liberty motors were the engines used in the service's de Havilland airplanes, and Johnson would start a job as a pilot with far more experience with the de Havillands and their engines than most other applicants. He also had 120 hours of cross-country flying experience, another plus. Despite his short time in the air, these two factors undoubtedly helped his application rise to the top of the pile.
The 23-year-old pilot joined the service on September 1, 1920. However, apparently knowledge of the Liberty motors was not enough. His superiors were unimpressed with his peformance and Johnson was released from the service two months later.