Tammi Johnson: The power of persistence

Grace, Grit & Hope

For 26 years, Tammi Johnson talked to people all over the world to find the U.S.S. Strong, which lost 46 sailors in 1943 (including her great Uncle Billy Hedrick) after being hit by a Japanese torpedo. Fired11 nautical miles away, it was the longest-range torpedo kill in history. Survivors floated for days and some were marooned on nearby Arundel Island. Tammi’s quest to find the ship led her to David Mearns of Blue Water Recoveries, Remotely Operated Vehicle Pilot Paul Mayer, Paul Allen who co-founded Microsoft, along with historians, authors and many others who shared information. Through years of following leads, taking research trips and ships conducting grid-pattern searches, they found the Strong on Feb. 6, 2019. As this show goes live, Tammi is flying to the South Pacific World War II Museum with a plaque for the museum honoring the Strong’s crew members. Don’t miss Tammi’s amazing story of never giving up.