Military Veterans

Howard Ralph Redburn

Date of Birth

16 August 1927

Brick Location

Eagle Side

Panel Number

11B

Biography

Howard enlisted in the Navy in June 1945, immediately after graduating from high school.  Boot camp was in San Diego, CA, and he was home for Christmas that year.  From there he was sent by train to Radioman’s School in Havre’de Grace, MD.  Then on to Bainbridge Island in the Pudget Sound in Washington State to learn to be an intercept operator.

Howard was then sent to Adak, Alaska, for about nine months to intercept foreign code.  He came back to be discharged at Treasure Island at San Francisco, CA in October 1947.  Upon being discharged, he joined the Navy Reserves for four years.

Howard came home, started to college and was married in June 1950 to Barbara Anderson from El Dorado.

In January 1951, he was recalled for active duty; he asked for a deferment and he was deferred until June.  He left for active service on June 4, 1951, headed for San Francisco, CA.  From San Francisco, Howard went to Seattle, Kodiak, and Dutch Harbor on  his way to Adah, Alaska.  

After a swing in Alaska, Howard asked his commanding officer for a transfer to another base; it was unusual for Navy personnel to serve duty on the same base as before.  The commander turned him down, so he wrote to the Director of Naval Operations in Washington, D.C. and received the transfer to Oahu, Hawaii.  His time there in Hawaii was from August 1951 until September 1951.

His wife, Barbara, flew to Hawaii a few days after he arrived and they lived on the island for that 13 months.

They flew home on the Flying Ship Mars which was a plane that took off and landed on water.  They arrived at Treasure Island in San Francisco, CA, where he was discharged in September 1951.

Howard is the son of Arlie and Mertie Wilcox Redburn of El Dorado.

Branch:

U.S. Navy

Rank

Communications Technician 2nd Class

Years

World War II