(Veteran)

Eldred L. Claborn, 83

Former Herman resident Eldred Lee Claborn, 83, of Jacksonville, Fla., died April 28, 2004, of heart failure.

Graveside funeral services were held with full military honors by the U.S. Navy on May 1 at the Riverside Memorial Park.

Eldred Lee Claborn was born May 7, 1920, in Illinois to Levi Jasper and Nancy Jane Claborn.

The family moved to Herman in 1931, where he attended school and was a member of the Civilian Conservation Corps prior to entering the U.S. Navy. He was a veteran of World War II, the Korean Conflict, and Vietnam, having served in the Navy for 30 years. He saw action in the Pacific Theater during W.W. II, serving on several Navy carriers, including the USS Bataan, USS Bennington and later, the USS Kitty Hawk. He was present on the deck of a carrier in the Tokyo Bay in 1945 when the Japanese surrender was signed on the USS Missouri. He also was an observer of the nuclear testing in Nevada and on a group of islands in the Pacific during the Cold War. He retired from active duty in June 1970, as Master Chief Petty Officer (E-9) and was proud of his work with the attack squadrons and carrier aircraft group.

Mr. Claborn’s military awards included the Navy Commendation Medal, American National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star, the American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.

After his retirement from active duty, he attended college, majoring in political science.

He was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed hunting, fishing, and stock car racing with his longtime friends.

He is survived by his wife of 16 years, Patricia Jackson Grantham Claborn; a step-daughter, Jacqueline Hansma; two step-grandchildren and two step great-grandchildren; two brothers, Robert Charles of Warsaw, Mo., and Billy Eugene of Omaha; two sisters, Betty Petersen of the Washington, D.C. area, and Elouise Green of Omaha; 14 nieces and nephews and 25 great-nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Mayvonne “Jo” Young Claborn; two brothers, Elmer and Levi Jasper Jr., and one sister, Shirley Avilla.

Peeples Family Funeral Homes in Jacksonville were in charge of arrangements.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~