William R. Howard, Jr.

William R. Howard Jr., a Lab retiree and resident of Sacramento, died Aug. 8. He was 89.

Howard was born Nov. 11, 1919, in Calvin County, Ky. and was raised in Corbin, Ky.

After high school, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps and received training as an aircraft mechanic. His skill with aircraft engines and his leadership qualities led to a training stint at Yale University and a commission as a second lieutenant.

After further training and a few months before he was due to ship out to the South Pacific, he entered a burning aircraft to rescue its occupants. His face and hands were severely burned, but because of new approaches to burn treatment at that time, his recovery was almost miraculous. For his heroic actions at the risk of his own life in a non-combat situation, he was awarded the Soldiers Medal. He was able to ship out with his unit, the 313 Bomb Wing, 504 Bomb Group (VH) to Tinian in 1944. Responsible for maintenance of B-29s in his unit, he compiled an exemplary record and shared in two Presidential Unit Citations awarded to his group; he returned to the United States as a first leutenant in 1945. He decided to make the military his career. He retired from active service in 1960 as a major.

On assignment in Japan, Howard passed through Livermore and liked the area. After retiring from the Air Force, he brought his family to Livermore and worked briefly for the U.S. Post Office. He then started his second career at LLNL with the Computations and Theoretical Physics Department in 1962 and eventually became the assistant supervisor of the swing shift of the Computer Operations Division. He retired from LLNL in 1981, but returned as a security escort for eight years.

Howard is survived by his daughters, Beverly Bull of Ripon and Janice Brovont of Livermore; grandchildren, Christy Caton of Portland, Dr. Ralph Havens of Olympia, Wash., Brianna Costilla of Turlock, Heather Comer of Mountain House; and two great-grandchildren, Austin and Robyn.

Funeral services were held in Sacramento on Aug. 12. Howard was buried with full military honors at the East Lawn Memorial Park in Sacramento. Donations may be made in his name to the Riverside Wesleyan Church, 6449 Riverside Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95831-1061.