It began with a smile – that’s what MTA bus driver Yvonne Farrington said drew her to Navy Ens. Larry Chester. The sailor who is serving on the USS Iwo Jima, was in New York City for Fleet Week. Farrington, who was starting her route on the M50 bus, saw Chester standing at the corner of 12th Avenue and 42nd Street, looking confused.
“I wanted to give him directions, haha,” said Farrington.
Not only did she give him directions, she also snapped a picture with him. But she forgot to get his number. So she sent the picture to a radio station to see if they could help. With the assistance of the U.S. Navy, the radio station located Chester and orchestrated a reunion at Pier 88, one day before the Iwo Jima was set to leave.
“I’m quite surprised,” said Chester, about the fact that Farrington would go to such lengths to find him. “I’m very flattered, embarrassed too, because I’m kind of a shy guy.”
But Chester who has been married for fifteen years with three young children, agreed to meet Farrington because she did give him directions.
“Am I disappointed? No,” said Farrington. “Because I know there's some happy woman out there and I wasn’t really looking for love, I just wanted to give him our picture and thank him for serving our country.”
