The US Navy Japanese/Oriental Language School

BIOGRAPHIES - Class of 1944
Robert E. Brandson

Robert E. Brandson
JLS 1944
(1922-2004)

Robert “Bob” Ellis Brandson, 81, died on Wednesday, May 19, 2004 at his home in Pine Grove following a lengthy illness. Bob and wife Betty Brandson located Amador County as their new home in 1974 during a quest for a lifestyle change following successful professional careers for both of them in the Los Angeles area. Bob left his position as president of the Bowes Agency, at the time the largest independently owned advertising agency in Los Angeles, where he managed a number of major accounts. He served a term as president of the Western States Advertising Agencies Association. His creativity and skills first benefited the then-Amador Dispatch, where he became advertising manager for publisher Dan Barnett. He then applied his talents to real estate, becoming a founding partner and broker with Mother Lode Realty. “I just love helping people and I especially enjoy working with them to find their new homes and learn about Amador County,” he said once describing why that career was so fulfilling to his interests and abilities. He was president of the Amador County Board of Realtors in 1987. Bob’s remarkable communication abilities were especially significant as he did not learn English until he moved with his mother from the Icelandic immigrant community of Mountain, N. D. to Southern California when he was five years old. He maintained contact with cousins and enjoyed American Icelandic activities. Two years ago he chronicled his unusual Icelandic heritage in a narrated video of historic family portraits and documents, along with photographs of his own visit to Iceland, as a gift for his children and grandchildren. His linguistic abilities were further tested during World War II, when he attended the US Navy Japanese Language School at the University of Colorado in Boulder. He then became part of an elite Marine Corps group trained intensively in the Japanese language. He served as a first lieutenant interpreting intercepted communications and later as a translator for occupying forces on Japanese islands and in Nagasaki. He returned home in 1946 to complete his degree in journalism from the University of Southern California, where he was graduated Phi Beta Kappa. He and Betty traveled extensively around the world. His many diverse interests included art and gardening. He was active in Trinity Episcopal Church and many social and civic activities. But his greatest interest was always his family and encouraging small children. Through the years many youngsters came to regard him as their second grandfather. He took special joy in activities with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. [He signed on to our mailing list in 2000.] He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Betty Brandson of Pine Grove; daughter Kelli Belt and her husband Errol of Granite Bay and their son, Kyle and his wife Amanda and daughter Kelli Grace of Carmichael; daughter, Kim Brandson of Pine Grove and her children, Chelsea McClellan and her husband Dave and children Michael and Kylie of Pollock Pines, and Penn Brimberry and his wife Gillian of Dublin; son, Casey Brandson and his wife Margaret of Amador City [Now on our mailing list].

Amador Ledger Dispatch
May 28, 2004
Jackson, CA

This information was graciously provided by:
David M. Hays, Archivist
University of Colorado at Boulder Libraries
184 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309-0184
(303) 492-7242

These pages are dedicated the history of the graduates of the US Navy Japanese / Oriental Language School, University of Colorado at Boulder, 1942-1946 and also attended USC.

This information has been made possible by David M. Hays Instructor/Archivist of University of Colorado at Boulder.

If you have information you desire to share, please contact the webmaster.

To use the dropdown menu, click on the down arrow, highlight your topic, and click go.