‘An incredible man,‘ WWII veteran and Pearl Harbor survivor honored at 105th birthday
Johnson, a great-grandfather of two, was surrounded by friends, family, and military service members.
'He was so pleased seeing all the children... they made him cards,' said Johnson's daughter, Diane Johnson. 'It was so heartwarming.'
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Several families came to the event, which they said served as
a history lesson for their homeschooled children. For about two hours, people lined up to give Johnson gifts, including cards, quilts, and teddy bears, and pay their respects to the veteran, a week after his 105th birthday.
Diane Johnson spoke on her father's behalf, saying his hearing loss can make conversations difficult.
'It really just turned into this incredible local celebration,' said Colleen Lofgren, who works in Diggs's office.
Johnson was born March 11, 1920, in Springfield and was raised in Waltham. When he was 19, he enlisted in the Navy in Boston to help in the war effort.
After training in Newport, R.I., he served aboard the USS St. Louis, which came to be known as 'Lucky Lou' for escaping the attack on Pearl Harbor. Johnson played a crucial role in the first boiler room, helping to ready the ship for sail.
After Pearl Harbor, Johnson transferred to the USS Iowa, which transported President Franklin D. Roosevelt to Iran for a wartime conference with Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin. Aboard the Iowa, Johnson also witnessed the official surrender of Japan in Tokyo Bay on Sep. 2, 1945.
'He's truly an incredible man,' Lofgren said.
Lofgren said she met Johnson when she was on her weekend shift waitressing at a restaurant in Centerville, where Johnson and his daughter frequent. When Lofgren learned that Johnson was a Pearl Harbor veteran, she decided to help arrange a birthday celebration.
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'He's so humble,' Lofgren said. 'The way he talks, it's never about him. It's about the country, and he'll say he was just doing his job.'
At the party were active members of
the Navy, who traveled from Boston for the event, fellow Navy veterans and members of the military support club at Barnstable High School, Lofgren said.
'He was truly amazed at how many people came out,' Lofgren said. 'He thought it was just going to be another veterans event, but no.'
Members of the local police and fire departments attended, as well as the Coast Guard Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps.
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'It was definitely a bit of a surprise,' Johnson's daughter said. 'We were just going for the cake, but it ended up being this wonderful thing.'
Johnson stopped in his tracks when he saw the young Naval officers honoring him, Lofgren said.
'I think it was overwhelming for him,' Johnson's daughter
said. 'He's a good man. He doesn't think what he did was all that special, but I think it was a good reminder.'
Sarah Mesdjian can be reached at
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