I was born in White Oak, Bladen County, NC October 10, 1937. My father - Arbie Rudolph Owen worked at a small saw mill owned by Mr. Elbert Rice between White Oak (about 4 miles) and Fayetteville. My father ran a machine cutting shake shingles. We then moved to Elizabethtowe, Bladen County, NC where I lived until I graduated from Elizabethtown High School May 27, 1956. I enlisted in the US Navy June 13, 1956 and went to boot camp at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center in Waukegan, WI. I went from boot camp to Quonset Point, RI for 6 months before entering Aviation Electronic School in Millington, TN. From there to Norfolk, VA (NAS and VP56) where I finished by first tour and got out. I worked for Carolina Telephone and Telegraph Company in Fayetteville, NC for 2 1/2 years before re-entering the Navy, going to Advanced Aviation Electronics School, to Agana, Guam, Mariana Islands for 2 years, to Alameda NAS, CA to NAS Glynco in Brunswick, Glynn County, GA, to Pensacola Jr. College, to NAS Cecil Field (VA45 Det 2) where I went on the final cruise of the USS Intrepid (CV 11) for a Mediterranian cruise, back to NAS Norfolk, VA VAQ33, To NAS Oceana, VA (VF101 which became VF171) where I retired Sep 1, 1979. I now live in Windsor, VA with my wife of 34 years - Donna Jean (Jones, Howard)Owen.

I was born in White Oak, Bladen County, NC October 10, 1937. My father - Arbie Rudolph Owen worked at a small saw mill owned by Mr. Elbert Rice between White Oak (about 4 miles) and Fayetteville. My father ran a machine cutting shake shingles. We then moved to Elizabethtowe, Bladen County, NC where I lived until I graduated from Elizabethtown High School May 27, 1956. I enlisted in the US Navy June 13, 1956 and went to boot camp at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center in Waukegan, WI. I went from boot camp to Quonset Point, RI for 6 months before entering Aviation Electronic School in Millington, TN. From there to Norfolk, VA (NAS and VP56) where I finished by first tour and got out. I worked for Carolina Telephone and Telegraph Company in Fayetteville, NC for 2 1/2 years before re-entering the Navy, going to Advanced Aviation Electronics School, to Agana, Guam, Mariana Islands for 2 years, to Alameda NAS, CA to NAS Glynco in Brunswick, Glynn County, GA, to Pensacola Jr. College, to NAS Cecil Field (VA45 Det 2) where I went on the final cruise of the USS Intrepid (CV 11) for a Mediterranian cruise, back to NAS Norfolk, VA VAQ33, To NAS Oceana, VA (VF101 which became VF171) where I retired Sep 1, 1979. I now live in Windsor, VA with my wife of 34 years - Donna Jean (Jones, Howard)Owen.