Facebook post aims to reunite WWII vet with shipmates
After his photo was shared with the U.S. Navy Facebook page, a man’s photo has gone viral as he hopes to locate fellow shipmates from his time in World War II.
The photo, shared more than 530,000 times as of Monday morning, shows a man holding a sign saying “I was on LST 218 in WWII. Looking for any fellow shipmates. Please share.”
The caption says the man is Ramond Devere Johnson, who was a signalman on LST 218.
Since the post has been shared, many have posted photos and stories of relatives who served similarly during WWII.
“He got to keep the ship’s plank flag, and I pulled it out to show him on his 90th Birthday,” Phillip Jones wrote about his own grandfather. “He has Alzheimer’s, but when I unfolded the flag and asked if he remembered it, he got a big smile on his face and said yes.”
Other posts said they or their family have found members of Johnson’s shipmates, including a man who posted about his great uncle Harold Wiedemann, who he says served on the same ship.
Hundreds of comments share photos and stories from family members who served in the Navy in WWII.
Contact Kristen DeSilva at 702-477-3895 or kdesilva@reviewjournal.com. Find her on Twitter: @kristendesilva
