SCRANTON, Pa. — On Friday, Jeff Whitney stood on the corner of Mulberry Street and Franklin Avenue in downtown Scranton, bearing a flag with his stepson's picture. Lance Cpl. Larry Johnson, 19, was a Marine serving in Afghanistan. It was February 18, 2010, when tragedy struck the family.
"He had 40 days to come home, and he didn't make it. He got killed by an IED, he and his sergeant together. It's very unfortunate. Some don't make it home, and Larry was one of them," Whitney said.
Every year on February 18, Whitney stands on this corner, holding the flag, to pay tribute to his stepson. It's been 12 years since Cpl. Johnson was killed in Afghanistan, and he wants to remind people of the sacrifice his son made for his country.
"I've just got to keep his name going. He deserves it. He was young. I want to say a young boy, but the Marines made him a man, but at 19, you're still a kid."
Whitney says braving the cold weather and strong winds is hard, but when people honk as they go by, it gives him the strength to keep going."
"It's unbelievable. You hear the horns beeping now. It's great; it's such a great feeling."
This will be the last time Whitney will hold this post to honor his stepson. He and Cpl. Johnson's mother Johanna are moving to Florida later this month, but it won't stop him from continuing this solemn tradition.
"His legacy will go on. I promise you that. I will be doing it in Florida. I don't know how many people will know him, but there's a saying, once a Marine, always a Marine," Whitney said.
Johnson's story won't be completely leaving Scranton. There is still a memorial inside Scranton High School for students to be reminded of his service and sacrifice.
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