Roland D. Freidank

Freidank, Roland Duane
Age 98, of Albuquerque, NM, died on June 30, 2015. He was born October 7, 1916 in Palmyra, MO, the son of Charles Elijah and Ida Ruth (Kempf) Freidank. He was married to Elizabeth Sue McIntosh of Albuquerque, NM, on June 24, 1950. She preceded him in death on October 30, 1995. Survivors are two children, Roxanna Gay (Freidank) Guerra, of the home; Roger Duane and wife, Cynthia Ann (Colliver) Freidank, Albuquerque, NM; two grandchildren, Megan Sue Freidank, Albuquerque, NM and Rory Daniel Freidank, Durango, CO. He was also preceded in death by his parents; twin grandchildren, Ruth Ann Guerra and Sue Ann Guerra, both of Albuquerque, NM; brother in-law, Francis Joseph McHale and sister, Marsaelle Gay (Freidank) McHale, both of Richland, WA. He attended George Washington grade school, 1922 to 1930, and Palmyra High School, 1930 to 1934, both of Palmyra, MO; and Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy, 1934 to 1938, Rolla, MO. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering, took the Civil Service Examination and was employed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and attended Midshipman School at Columbia University, New York City, NY. He graduated as an Ensign and was assigned to the Navy "Sea Bees" at Camp Peary, Williamsburg, VA. After training in "Man-to-Man Combat", plastic C2 explosives and "Booby-Traps", he was sent to U.S. Naval Headquarters, New Orleans, LA. He was assigned as one of the resident officers in charge of construction contracts at U.S. Naval Air Station and Shell Beach Aerial Gunnery Range, both at New Orleans, LA. After constructions contract completions, he was stationed at the U.S. Naval Receiving Station, Chickasaw , AL with new construction contracts at Blakely Island, Mobile AL; Harbor Entrance Control Port, Fort Morgan, AL; PT Boat Landing Docks, Panama City, FL and U.S. Naval Air Station, Pensacola, FL. After construction contract completions, he was sent to the U.S. Naval Receiving Station, Treasure Island, CA and assigned to the Eighth U.S. Naval Construction Regiment, which later was part of the invasion of the Pacific Island of Iwo Jima. He was Operations Officer of all Iwo Jima construction projects. The atomic bomb was dropped on Japan and the war was over. The Eighth U.S. Naval Construction Regiment left Iwo Jima and went to Yokosuka, Japan for Japanese Occupation. He was in charge of local street and road repairs, and later the renovation of a building in Tokyo, Japan for General Douglas MacArthur's headquarters. After two years of Japanese Occupation, he had enough "points" to return home, which he did in 1947.  He retired as Lieutant Commander in the U.S. Naval Reserves. He returned to work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He retired after 35 years  (30 years with the Corps of Engineers and 5 years with the Navy "Sea Bees").  He had been retired since June 29, 1973.
He was cremated at Albuquerque, NM. To share memories with family please visit www.danielsfuneral.com  
Daniels Family Funeral Services
7601 Wyoming Blvd NE
Albuquerque, NM 87109
505-821-0010