Ed “Big John” Laughton - Merchant Mariner WWII

Ed “Big John” Laughton - USMM WWII

Born October 13th, 1921, Ed “Big John” Laughton was serving as 2nd Officer on the S/S Hobbs Victory when it was attacked by kamikaze aircraft and sunk on April 6, 1945 off of Okinawa. He ended up in a lifeboat saving several of his shipmates. Unfortunately, 11 of his crew lost their lives.

Big John has been a long-standing advocate of the American Merchant Marine Veterans association. He lives in Monterey County, CA. He received the Congressional Gold Medal in May 2022 from Rep. John Garamendi at a ceremony in San Francisco, CA.

To learn more about the Merchant Marine Service visit our page www.https://usawarriorstories.org/watch/merchant-mariners

For more information on the AMMV (American Merchant Marine Veterans) visit https://ammv.us/