Washington State World War II Memorial
Inscriptions- bronze blades contain the names of the Washingtonians who were killed in the war, John C Johnson is included.

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“The greatest single transport disaster for Americans in this war occurred when the British troopship Rohna sank in darkness and bad weather after a 30-minute enemy air attack off Djidjeli, Algeria." See RhonaSurvivors.org
On November 26, 1943 nearly two thousand American soldiers faced the most traumatic experience of their young lives. They woke up that morning aboard a vessel that some described as unfit for human habitation. Just a bunch of kids, mostly only a year or so out of high school.Exhibiting the expected Yankee cockiness, they were ready to take on anything the war had to offer. Having survived a Thanksgiving Day dinner the day before, things just had to get better. The sad part of it was, this would be the last Thanksgiving for over half of them!Their self-confidence was shattered when a German guided missile slammed into the port side of their ship, the HMT ROHNA, off the coast of North Africa. Deserted by the Indian crew and not having the benefit of life saving equipment, due to the deplorable condition of lifeboats and rafts, the fate of the men was left to the cold waters of the Mediterranean Sea and rescue operations hampered by darkness and heavy seas.When the night was over, less than half of those two thousand young men made it to safety. There would be no tomorrow for one thousand and fifteen young American soldiers!See Johnson, John C., Pfc.

Washington State World War II Memorial
Inscriptions- bronze blades contain the names of the Washingtonians who were killed in the war, John C Johnson is included.

~

“The greatest single transport disaster for Americans in this war occurred when the British troopship Rohna sank in darkness and bad weather after a 30-minute enemy air attack off Djidjeli, Algeria." See RhonaSurvivors.org
On November 26, 1943 nearly two thousand American soldiers faced the most traumatic experience of their young lives. They woke up that morning aboard a vessel that some described as unfit for human habitation. Just a bunch of kids, mostly only a year or so out of high school.Exhibiting the expected Yankee cockiness, they were ready to take on anything the war had to offer. Having survived a Thanksgiving Day dinner the day before, things just had to get better. The sad part of it was, this would be the last Thanksgiving for over half of them!Their self-confidence was shattered when a German guided missile slammed into the port side of their ship, the HMT ROHNA, off the coast of North Africa. Deserted by the Indian crew and not having the benefit of life saving equipment, due to the deplorable condition of lifeboats and rafts, the fate of the men was left to the cold waters of the Mediterranean Sea and rescue operations hampered by darkness and heavy seas.When the night was over, less than half of those two thousand young men made it to safety. There would be no tomorrow for one thousand and fifteen young American soldiers!See Johnson, John C., Pfc.