Melvin Kealoha Bell, age 98 of Westminster California, passed away Sunday September 9th 2018. A native of Hawai’i, he was born on 25 January 1920 in the town of Hilo on the “Big Island.” He was a 1938 graduate of Hilo High School, and shortly thereafter enlisted in the United States Coast Guard in Honolulu. He served aboard USCGC Roger B. Taney as a radioman. On 7 December 1941, he was on duty at Coast Guard District Communications Station Diamond Head O’ahu as the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor began. Radioman 2nd Class Bell was ordered by 14th Naval District Headquarters to transmit the first messages to all commercial ships and stations advising of the air raid. Those messages alerted the world that U.S. Forces were under attack in Hawai’i. During WWII he served in Naval Communications Intelligence with Fleet Radio Unit Pacific (FRUPAC) and was part of the section that copied and broke the Japanese Imperial Fleet code leading to the decisive U.S. Naval victory at Midway. His decorations include the Coast Guard Good Conduct Medal (5 awards), the Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Unit Commendation, National Defense Service Medal, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, American Defense Medal, American Campaign Medal and Victory World War II Medal.
In 1950 he was an instructor at the Coast Guard Electronics Technician School in Groton Connecticut where he met Norine Velma Hamlin of New Britain CT. They were married in Brooklyn, NY on 26 May 1950. In 1953 he served as Executive Officer of Long Range Navigation Station Panay Island, Philippines. He had the rare distinction of holding a dual rating as Chief Radioman and Chief Electronics Technician. He served as Electronics Technician Chief on the USCGC Casco out of Boston, Mass. when selected for advancement to E-9 Master Chief. On 6 November 1958 he was promoted as the first Master Chief of his rate, and the first minority Master Chief Petty Officer in the Coast Guard. After 20 years active duty he retired on 1 January 1959 and returned to Hawai’i as a civil service employee of the Coast Guard and later Navy at Naval Ammunition Depot Lualualei O’ahu. He worked in the Quality Evaluation Lab until 1974 before transferring to Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach, CA. In 2004 he retired at the age of 84 with a combined 65 years of active duty military and Federal civil service. During his many years with the Dept. of the Navy he worked in the submarine launched ballistic missile arena; first on the Polaris flight control program, and then the Subroc missile program from “cradle to grave” where he earned the esteemed title “Mr. Subroc.” He later worked on the environmental stress screening of the Standard Missile program and ended his career assigned to Indian Head Division (Maryland) at NWS Seal Beach in the MK4 Trident surveillance program. A true American Patriot, he was recognized by former President George W. Bush for having one of the longest terms of federal service in the nation’s history. On Veteran’s day weekend 2011 he returned as an honored guest to the UCGC Taney, now a floating National Historical Maritime Museum in Baltimore Harbor. A resident of Westminster California since 1974, he was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in his community.
Melvin is preceded in death by a son, Melvin Kealoha Bell Jr., and survived by his beloved wife of 68 years, Norine and 8 children; Sons, Edward F. Haley of Tucson Az., Robert Bell of Westminster and John Bell of Menefee. Daughters, Laura Cormack of Provo Utah, Janet Anderson, Sandra A. Koengeter, Elaine Whitfield and Rita Mayer of San Diego, 27 grandchildren, 50 great-grandchildren, 3 great-great grandchildren and numerous other extended family members.
A family viewing will be held on Monday, October 1st from 10am to 11, at the LDS Chapel 14271 Locust St. Westminster, followed by a Chapel service open to all from 11am to noon. He will be laid to rest with military honors at Riverside National Veterans Cemetery at 2:15pm. He was a remarkable man and American hero who will be missed by family and friends.
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