By FRANCIS JOSEPH
Remember Stanley L. Johnson? He was the commanding officer of the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment during the military uprising in 1970.
Well, Johnson is 107 years old now. He turned up at the Remembrance Day ceremony at Memorial Park on Sunday and laid a wreath on behalf of the Federation of Veterans Association.
Johnson lives in Washington DC and flew in last Wednesday for laying the wreath. He is the fourth oldest surviving war veteran in the world. He walks with a cane, but his faculties are intact and he is aware of his surroundings.
Ably assisted, Johnson placed a wreath at the Cenotaph at Memorial Park on Sunday. Very few of the soldiers present at the ceremony knew who Johnson is. He told Sunshine Today that he was glad to be in Trinidad for the ceremony. “I plan to be back next year,” he added.
Johnson, holder of the Medal of Merit, served as the Commanding Officer of the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment during the critical events of the 1970 Black Power and Mutiny uprisings.
Johnson served in the British army before returning to Trinidad in 1964 to join the Regiment. He was viewed as a Sandhurst-trained, British-oriented officer.
During the April 1970 mutiny led by junior officers like Lieutenant Raffique Shah and Rex Lassalle, mutinous soldiers sought to arrest Colonel Johnson and demand his removal, though he was not in camp at the initial takeover.
As part of the resolution and negotiations following the mutiny, Colonel Johnson was relieved of his command on April 26, 1970, and replaced by Colonel Joffre Serrette, now deceased. Johnson grew up on Duke Street, Port-of-Spain. During his visit to Trinidad, he had lunch with Chief of Defence Staff, Commodore Don Polo.
At Sunday’s ceremony, the first wreath was laid by President Christine Carla Kangaloo, followed by Attorney General John Jeremie SC, representing the Prime Minister, Chief Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh, Minister of Defence Wayne Sturge, and Minister of Homeland Security, Roger Alexander.
Members of the Diplomatic Corps also laid wreaths at the Cenotaph.
