The overwhelming feeling I get intuitively from him is that he doesn't want to be forgotten. Those 85 people died and led to safer laws that protect all of us in hotel rooms. Whether the hotel itself and the other souls that died inside is part of this I don't know yet, as of this writing I'm preparing our return. There is work that I have to do at the hotel that will become clearer as April approaches.
We are able to learn so much about John Frederick Ashton because he was an immigrant to the United States and his Petition for Naturalization is a matter of public record.
JFA became a naturalized citizen on 9/22/61. I was born on 9/22/77.
Dave: Age 36 (at time of incident)
JFA: Age 34 (at time of death)
Dave: DOB 11/27/74
Date of JFA's mother's sworn testimony on JFA's Naturalization Petition: 11/27/74
(Date is 2/3 down the page written in the margins)
In an old news video uploaded to you tube, a priest describes finding a "touching" scene of a room service worker that had just delivered and had his tray beside him: "It was very sad." He said he said a prayer for the man. I believe this has to be JFA as there's no other Room Service employee listed on the fatality list for the upstairs towers, where the priest was blessing bodies.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o8dRs1R6O0)
The Culinary Workers Union Local 226 of which MGM staff members belonged has a plaque dedicated to the fire victims at their headquarters. There are internet rumors of a small memorial plaque at Nosh Deli in Bally's near the employees only section, but if it is there its hidden. I plan on searching for it in April.
A baker named Don Feldman who was on duty that morning in the MGM was interviewed. He said that "he felt that staying behind to continue working wasn't putting himself in danger, because after all, it was the MGM and surely they would take care of the problem before it got too big" (http://classiclasvegas.squarespace.com/classic-las-vegas-blog/2010/11/21/thirty-years-gone-the-mgm-grand-fire.html).
Is this how John Ashton felt as well? Did he know about the fire as he took the room service order upstairs? Is he angry that the MGM/Bally does not have an acknowledgement of the lives lost? Was he afraid of the fire and sent up to deliver anyway? Was John chosen to communicate the agony of the hotel because he was working? Did he feel stuck in his job like Dave and I both did back in 2009?
On his petition we are lucky enough to have a copy of his signature. Will this help us contact him again in April? Spirits don't just appear or interact on demand, nothing or everything may happen in the Bally hotel.
Surrey, England is where my Paternal family line originated
My father's name is John
The next major step in my research is this, which is on it's way:
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