American Legion Post 204 is honoring deceased veteran Anthony “Andy” Johnson by flying a special flag in his honor at Veterans Park in downtown Seminole. The flag began flying June 1 and will fly the entire month.

Johnson was born Sept. 23, 1958 in Talihina to the late Raymond Lee Johnson and Barbara Jean Pilkington Harjo. He passed away April 18, 2021 at his home in Seminole.

Johnson graduated from Wewoka High School and joined the Oklahoma National Guard in 1976 where he enlisted into the 2120th Supply and Service Company in Wewoka as a Food Service Specialist. He also worked as a Roustabout and Truck Driver in the Oil Field. He met and married the late Billie Jones and they were married in Seminole.

Johnson is survived by his children; Stephanie Johnson of Wewoka, Derek Johnson of Wewoka, Jeremy Johnson of Wewoka, Ralin and Jeff Sanderson of Blanchard, six grandchildren, sibling; Curtis Johnson of Norman, Ann Jiffy Borba of Seminole, Juscindy and Jim Burton of Peidmont, Josie and Dean Hazelton of Ardmore and Victoria Lockett and Jeff Fox of Harrah.

The local American Legion Post, under the command of Carl Odom, honors a different veteran each month by flying a flag in their honor. Veterans Park is located on Main Street next to the Municipal Building.

The American Legion was chartered by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic veterans organization. Focusing on service to veterans, servicemembers and communities, the Legion evolved from a group of war-weary veterans of World War I into one of the most influential nonprofit groups in the United States. Membership swiftly grew to over 1 million, and local posts sprang up across the country. Today, membership stands at nearly 2 million in more than 13,000 posts worldwide. The posts are organized into 55 departments: one each for the 50 states, along with the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, France, Mexico and the Philippines.