Johnny Barrett Floyd, a resident of North Little Rock and Sherwood, entered the Air Force in 1959. Initially serving as a navigator on KC97 and KC135 refueling tankers, he later applied for pilot training and requested combat duty in Vietnam. He was assigned to a C130 unit in Okinawa. In 1969, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for missions flown in an unarmed reconnaissance flare ship at night over the Ho Chi Minh trail in Laos, targeting enemy trucks and campsites. His second Distinguished Flying Cross was awarded in 1970 for an emergency resupply airlift of 30,000 lbs of jet fuel to the besieged airfield at Tan Son Nhut, Vietnam, despite bad weather, hostile ground fire, and hazardous terrain. His C130, tail number 60518, was leaking hydraulic fluid but completed the mission successfully.

Other awards include the Bronze Star Medal, six Air Medals, the Meritorious Service Medal, three Air Force Commendation Medals, and the Order of the Able Aeronaut Award. Johnny Barnett Floyd retired as a Major in 1984 after 25 years of active duty. Interestingly, the C130 with tail number 60518 was also retired on the same day and now sits at the front gate of Little Rock Air Force Base.