R.V. ‘Digger’ O’Dell, LCDR, USN (Ret.)

Ralph Vernon “Digger” O’Dell was born on April 19, 1927, in St. Paul, Minn., to Thaddeus M. and Helen (Zittrich) O’Dell. He died suddenly at home in Oak Harbor on Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016.

Ralph was the second of five children, raised on a small truck farm in Minnesota. His father was legally blind and disabled, and Ralph and his younger brother were responsible for the use of mules to plow the fields, harvesting of crops and caring for the stock. Ralph’s older brother died of scarlet fever at the age of seven.

Ralph learned to play the piano and also played the bass horn in the St. Paul High School band, and after school he worked at the National Lead Factory.

In August 1942, at age 15, he decided to enlist in the U.S. Navy. With the help of his father, he made it to boot camp at Great Lakes. When his mother discovered his plans, he was sent back home. At age 17, he was able to rejoin the Navy.

Following boot camp, he attended aviation ordinance “A” school in Norman, Okla., and was assigned to Camp Kearney, Calif. In 1945, he was assigned to Carrier Aircraft Service Unit at Ford Island, Hawaii. Part of their mission was to clear unexploded bombs, and they were sent TAD to Maui and many of the islands of the South Pacific. Ralph was assigned to Australia and worked with the Aussies, who labeled their own AOs “Digger.” They soon began calling him “Digger.” That name stuck with him.

In 1947, Digger was deployed aboard the USS Antietam and the USS Valley Forge. Digger would spend 23 years of his 30-year Navy career at sea. He served aboard the USS Boxer, Hancock, Princeton and Saratoga.

Digger was an amateur radio operator and established a Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS) aboard each ship he served. This was the only means of verbal communication with families back home. Digger was married in 1948 and from that marriage, five children were born: Michael, Nancy, Jerry, Donald and Marc. That marriage would eventually end in divorce.

During the Korean War, Digger was stationed aboard the USS Boxer. An aircraft with a huge bomb landed on the deck and threw its bomb forward onto the deck. Digger responded and realized the bomb was armed. He ordered the area cleared, placed his hand between the fuse striker and fuse body — rendering the fuse inoperative — and then de-fused the bomb. This prevented a disaster aboard the ship. For his actions, Digger was awarded the Bronze Star with Distinguished Combat Device for personal heroism.

Digger received a Navy Commendation Medal for Heroic Achievement while serving as ordinance officer aboard the USS Saratoga, deployed in the Mediterranean Sea. A high pressure line ruptured and flooded 12 loaded ammunition magazines, exposing them to dangerous excessive heat.

Digger took charge of a volunteer team who realized the danger to the ship and entered the dark, steam-filled spaces. They moved ammunition away from the overheated bulkheads and ventilation lines, cooling the ammunition with water. For the second time in his career, he was instrumental in saving his crew and his ship.

Digger began going through the ranks from AO to CPO, serving as a deep sea hard hat diver, E.O.D., bomb disposal school instructor, and bombardier-navigator and designated naval flight officer. He was commissioned an ensign on Jan. 9, 1960. He served as a mentor to many young service members and performed numerous re-enlistment and commissioning ceremonies for them. On Dec. 1, 1974, Digger retired, having obtained the rank of lieutenant commander with 30 years, one month and one day of military service.

Digger graduated from Pensacola Junior College and attended Florida Atlantic University for ocean engineering for three years.

He moved to Iwakuni, Japan, and received both a civilian driver’s license and a private aircraft license. Moving to San Diego, he enjoyed flying along the West Coast and Mexico. Digger was married to Capt. Beverly “B.J.” Brase, NC, USN in San Diego, Calif.

Capt. O’Dell received orders to the Naval Hospital Oak Harbor in 1985. Digger became a very successful ombudsman to the Naval Hospital and because of his naval experience, was very successful. He was also chief operator for MARS from 1985 through 2015, providing radio communications and organizing all units for the Holland Happening and Fourth of July parades for many years.

Digger developed a unique program, involving many community organizations, for the Salvation Army Christmas Bell Ringing, organizing all of the watches for 15 years. He was a Master Gardener and provided over 100 hours of volunteer service to the group’s training program. Digger and B.J. recently took on a new challenge, volunteering at the WAIF thrift store in Oak Harbor, pricing and organizing books.

Digger had been a member of the Masonic Lodge for more than 60 years. He was a life member of Garfield Lodge #41, Whidby Island Lodge #15, Hermanos del arte Lodge #314 of the Grand Lodge of F.& A.M. of Washington. He was also a member of the Master Masons of Snohomish and Island Counties and the Bannock Masonic Lodge of Montana. He was a member-in-perpetuity of National Sojourners Inc. He was a life member of the Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Association and the Association of Aviation Ordnancemen and participated in all of the annual conventions from 1981 through 2011, when he became no longer physically able to attend.

Digger was a life member of the VFW, Navy League of the U.S. and a charter and life member of the A-3 Skywarrior Association and a plank owner of the U.S Navy Memorial and the World War II Memorial.

Following B.J.’s retirement in 1989, she and Digger traveled extensively across the U.S. to the East Coast, drove to Alaska three times, cruised to Russia and the Scandinavian countries, the Panama Canal and the Inside Passage to Alaska. Digger took his daughter Nancy on a trip when she retired from teaching, leaving from San Francisco, on the Sydney, and flying on to Singapore, then Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing and finally to Seattle.

Digger is survived by his wife B.J. and two min pins, Fritzy and Eric V; brother Marvin; sister Helen Marschke; sons, Michael and Jerry (JoAnne); daughter Nancy (Phillip) Noe; and daughter-in-law Deborah O’Dell. Nine grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and eight nieces and nephews also survive. He was preceded in death by his brothers, Donald and Wayne, and son Donald.

A celebration of life will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, March 18, at Wallin Funeral Home, Oak Harbor with Gary Wallin, life celebrant and the Whidby Island Lodge #15 F&AM officiating. Military honors will follow under the auspices of NAS Whidbey Honor Guard and Wildcat Company, NJROTC of Oak Harbor High School. A reception will follow for family and friends.

Donations in Digger’s name may be made to Shriners Hospital for Children, 911 W. 5th Ave, Spokane, WA 99204 or the Whidbey Animals Improvement Foundation (WAIF), P.O. Box 1108, Coupeville, WA 98239.

Please visit Digger’s page in the Book of Memories at www.wallinfuneralhome.com to share memories or condolences. Arrangements are entrusted to Wallin Funeral Home & Cremation, LLC, Oak Harbor.