William J. Lashua
BornSeptember 4, 1920
Ashburnham, Massachusetts, United States of America
DiedMay 23, 2013 (aged 92)
Ashburnham, Massachusetts, United States of America
Known forHis 90th birthday (Operation: Birthday Boy)

William J. Lashua (September 4, 1920 – May 23, 2013) was part of the US Army and was a World War II veteran. He is best known for his 90th birthday, nicknamed "Operation: Birthday Boy," in which various internet users celebrated his birthday after a post was made on 4chan about a flyer asking people to join his birthday party.

Lashua's 90th birthday (Operation: Birthday Boy)

In 2010, Lashua's family reserved the Ashburnham American Legion Hall for Lashua's 90th birthday, because "he's such a great guy and everybody knows him," a quote from Linda Leham, someone who knew him very well.

The family had set up a flyer advertising his birthday with the text "Wanted: People for Birthday Party." on a bulletin board of the Gardner Stop & Shop in Ashburnham, Massachusetts. The flyer included a picture of Lashua, explaining how it was his 90th birthday on September 4 and would be held in the American Legion Hall.

The post was originally meant for the town locals,[1][2] until an anonymous user on 4chan came across the flyer The user posted his findings on 4chan asking other users on the site to "make this guy the happiest person ever for a day," nicknaming the event "Operation: Birthday Boy."[2] It was unusual of 4chan to do this, being normally a malicious website.[3] The post quickly became viral, receiving almost 4000 likes and over 500 comments, of which were mostly wishing him a happy birthday and for his military service and reaching other social media platforms such as Reddit, Tumblr and Facebook, with some users from those sites near Massachusetts driving to the location to attend his party. Lashua's grandson made a post on Reddit thanking everyone of this, but also kindly asked people who didn't know him personally to not attend. He also asked them not to send any strippers, gifts or food, but cards and wishes were greatly appreciated.

Leham says that she has received around 100 calls from many foreign countries such as Japan, Sweden and Switzerland also wishing him a happy birthday, though the people calling thought that Lashua was going to be by himself at his birthday because of the flyer asking people to join it.[2]

Personal life

Lashua was born on September 4, 1920, in Ashburnham, Massachusetts to Walter and Sarah Lashua.

Lashua has six children, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. His wife Hilda, died in 2005.[4]

Lashua died on May 23, 2013, in Ashburnham, Massachusetts at the age of 92.[4]

References

  1. ↑ STAFF, Karen Nugent TELEGRAM & GAZETTE. "Birthday spirals online". The Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
  2. 1 2 3 "4chan Decides to Do Something Nice For a Change – Old GigaOm". 2023-02-02. Archived from the original on 2023-02-02.
  3. ↑ Kamer, Foster (2010-09-02). "The Sweeter Side of 4Chan: Sending 90 Year-Old War Vet William J. Lashua a Birthday Card". The Village Voice. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
  4. 1 2 admin (2016-03-25). "William Lashua Obituary - Death Notice and Service Information". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
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