By David Gutman Katherine Johnson, a native of White Sulphur Springs and a pioneer in the American space program, received the United States' highest civilian honor on Tuesday.Johnson was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for a 33-year career as a NASA mathematician in which she played a key role in some of the most historic space flights of all time.In the East Room of the White House on Tuesday, with President Barack Obama looking on, Johnson sat next to Willie Mays, as the citation for her Medal of Honor was read."With her razor sharp mathematical mind, Katherine G.