BARNSTABLE, Mass. — 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.
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