KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas City veteran needs help in locating his precious mementos. Josh Johnson lost them after he couldn’t afford to store them.
“Those are medals I earned and something I’d like to keep in the family,” Johnson said. “My boots, I wore them in every country I’ve been to. I had them from the first day I went to boot camp.”
Johnson was born and raised in Kansas City, he served eight years in the Marine Corps on two tours, working in 13 countries.
He’s a veteran who says he’s fallen on hard times.
“Well, it’s pretty much the only thing I got,” he said. “Memories-that’s the only tangible things I have for everything I’ve done.”
He rented out a storage unit in Kansas City to keep his most precious items safe.
“[I] Collected some stuff along the way,” he said. “Keepsakes and that sort of thing.”
Johnson said he owed $80 on the unit tab but couldn’t pay it.
So it went to auction, Johnson lost his items and is hoping with some help he’ll get them back.
“I know a lot of veterans don’t like to ask for help, and I’m no different,” he said. “But I need help sometimes. I’m just asking for it.”
Inside the storage unit, he calls the items irreplaceable.
All his uniforms, his dress blues, boots, brass medals for sea service deployment, things from his late grandmother, the scrubs he wore when his son was delivered and a Brewer's teddy bear passed down- which was meant for his son.
Most items are marked with Johnson’s name.
“Hopefully someone might have it, see it, or pop up in a thrift store or something,” he said. “If they do, I’ll pay back to get it.”
KSHB 41 found additional assistance programs, while there are many, the local VFW offers a grant of up to $1,500 for "unmet needs."
KCMO has many programs for those who are unhoused including warming centers.
If you’ve seen some of Johnson's Marine Corps things you can contact him at Joshua_Johnson@outlook.com
