Latest news with #USSSt.Louis
Boston Globe
21-03-2025
- General
- Boston Globe
‘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.' Advertisement 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. Advertisement '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. Related : '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
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Cape Cod WWII veteran celebrates his 105th birthday
A special celebration was held in Barnstable on Wednesday as a World War II veteran turned 105 years old. Freeman K. Johnson was born on March 11, 1920, making him the oldest registered living citizen in the state. He was presented the historic Boston Post Cane Award, which for generations has recognized the oldest living citizens in towns across New England. A party was held for Johnson at the Barnstable Adult Community Center, full of his friends and family. He was escorted into the building, saluted by Barnstable Police and Navy Officers alike. His life is a testament to courage, service, and resilience, because at the age of 19, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy in Boston, serving aboard the USS St. Louis, which played a crucial role during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Johnson was stationed in a boiler room during the attack. He, along with his fellow sailors, worked urgently to get the ship underway. The USS St. Louis was the second ship out of the harbor that day, which helped it earn the nickname 'The Lucky Lou.' Johnson was then transferred to the USS Iowa, which was responsible for transporting President Franklin D. Roosevelt to Tehran for a pivotal wartime conference with Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin. Johnson would later witness the official surrender of Japan that brought an end to World War II aboard the USS Iowa in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
USS St. Louis sailors return to Mayport after 8-month deployment
A crew of local sailors are home again after spending the better half of a year away from their families. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] The USS St. Louis returned after leaving on a mission overseas last June, which was unexpectedly extended by a month. The ship's commanding officer says the sailors were supposed to return to Naval Station Mayport about a month ago, but confirmed with Action News Jax they were directed to Guantanamo Bay at the start of February. The Navy shared pictures of the USS St. Louis sailors helping support 'Joint Task Force Southern Guard' as part of President Trump's recent executive order to prepare the navy base on Guantanamo Bay to house 30,000 migrants being deported after entering the country illegally. The commanding officer of the USS St. Louis says the sailors were helping to set up tents to support the base's migrant operations center. The first seven months of the deployment were spent making drug busts overseas, preventing $111 million worth of drugs from entering the U.S. 'This is a really exceptional group of Americans,' said USS St. Louis commanding officer TJ Orth, 'they're wonderful sailors and shipmates and I'm just proud to have worked with them.' Action News Jax's Finn Carlin spoke with some of the sailors onboard as they were walking onto the ship and into the arms of their loved ones. Some of them have been deployed multiple times before and say leaving becomes no easier but seeing their families again becomes much sweeter. 'It's the best part of the job, this is what makes it all worth it,' one of the sailors said, 'there's no words to it, it's the best feeling on Earth.' Another of the sailors is a mother who just returned home after spending the longest time away from her young son that she ever has. Apart from seeing him again, she says seeing all the people she worked with reunite with their families is its own reward. 'I'm just really happy and grateful to be home, it's been a long deployment,' she told Action News Jax. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
