TOMORROW: WORLD WAR II DECORATED MERCHANT MARINE OF SALINAS TO BE HONORED!🇺🇸 As part of our Veterans Day Celebrations, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors will be honoring 103-year old WWII decorated Merchant Marine veteran #JohnEdwardLaughton of Salinas and will declare Nov. 12 as “John Edward Laughton Day” in Monterey County🎖️ 

Laughton was deployed to Okinawa, Japan aboard the SS Hobb's Victory Ship caring six thousand tons of ammunition and arrived on April 6, 1945, where it was struck by Kamikazee airplanes and sunk. He ended up in a lifeboat saving several of his shipmates. Unfortunately, eleven out of ninety-nine crewmen were killed that day, and many others were injured. In May 2022, John Edward Laughton was honored with the Congressional Gold Medal in San Francisco for his courage, service and contributions. 

We will also honor the Salinas Hometown Heroes Banner Program and Vietnam Veteran #JamesSilva for all his decades of work caring for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park in Salinas. Special presentation by Salinas Fire Dept. Honor Guard🚒
#JohnEdwardLaughton