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Note: N2 !Carpenter, boat builder, fisherman, teacher of carpentry, chauffer during depression years, logger, US Navy Shipyard, worked on 1st nuclear submarine during WWII, retired as supervisor of personnel assistant
Frank John Urnberg (hereafter referred to as John)
Born October 25, 1903 Bergenfield, New Jersey
Married Lilja Betu Pohjola December 28, 1928 Sonora California
Died April 14, 1984 Martinez California
Final resting place Sunset Cemetery – Berkeley, California
July 9, 1946 Member of the Thousand Oaks Lodge No. 478, F. & A.M., Berkeley, California – Degree of Masonry
Addresses where John and Lil lived in California
Acton Street Berkeley
Belvedere Street, Berkeley
1725 10th Street, Berkeley
1600 Chestnut Street, Berkeley
Lake Drive
1709 Sacramento Street, Berkeley
2nd Street, Walnut Grove
Guisti’s Resort Mobile Home Park, Walnut Grove
166 Damascus Drive Pacheco,
Education and credentials
November 8, 1945 Special Secondary Vocational Arts Teacher
The Hunters Point Apprentice School was operated by the U.S. Navy in Cooperation with the San Francisco Unified School District.
May 21, 1946 California State Credential
Teaching Credential Certificate No Q2-276
Adult Education Class D Vocational Credential in Trade and Industrial and Public Service Education for carpentry and related material
July 2, 1946 Taught at the Mission Adult School, Samuel Gompers Branch
Work History
1918 – 1919
Healds Business College
Engineering and Spelling Classes
June 1920 – June 1924
K E Parker Company
Building Contractor – Apprentice Carpenter concrete form work and general carpentry - Starting wage $4/day ending pay $8/day
June 1924 – June 1926
George O. Bendan – San Francisco California
Home builder – carpentry – pay $8/day
June 1926 – November 1929
Fink & Schindler
Bank and Store fixtures – carpentry – detailed woodwork on banks and store fixtures
November 1929 – June 1934
Mrs. A. F. Edwards – Piedmont California
Private Chauffeur – driving retired woman and her family to social events
$90/month
June 1934 – August 1936
Key System Transit Company – Oakland, California
Mechanical and woodworking
1935 – 1936
Berkeley Evening School – Berkeley
Mechanical drawing classes
August 1936 – August 1940
Standard Oil Company – Richmond California
Carpentry work – starting wage $7.80/day ending pay $8.80/day
August 1940 – May 1942
U.S. Navy Shipyard – Mare Island, California
Worked there during WWII
Repaired submarines and was one of the men to work on the first nuclear submarine. It was very top secret and Navy put John through a very intense security screening. They even sent a man along on a hunting trip with his friends who they found out later, that he was checking to see if anyone talked out of turn about the nuclear sub. The saying was, “loose lips, sinks ships”. Starting wage $9.02/day ending $10.16/day
May 1942 – July 1942
San Francisco Naval Shipyard
Joiner starting wage $10.16/day
U.S. Navy Shipyard – Hunters Point
July 6, 1942 to May 20, 1945 Joiner First Class
July 6, 1943 to October 23, 1945
Apprentice Counselor
Instructor of ship carpentry
Assistant to the Supervisor of Apprentices
(letter of recommendation to be a teacher)
March 19, 1945 – Snapper in the Shipwright and Joiner Shop
May 21, 1945 Promoted to Leadingman First Class in Shipwright & Joiner Shop assigned to the Trainee Division to supervise the Apprentice Training program – Certificate Awarded
May 29, 1946 Mission Adult High School, Samuel Gompers Branch – Carpentry (Apprentice) Mission High School
Recognition of Service Award by the United States Navy
U.S. Naval Drydocks, Hunters Point
Dated November 29, 1945 –signed by the Commanding Officer
March 10, 1946 to October 1947
San Francisco Naval Shipyard
Administrative Assistant for Beneficial Suggestion Investigator
Starting wage $3090/year ending wage $3522.60/year
October 1947 – April 1948
San Francisco Naval Shipyard – Design branch
Administrative Personnel Assistant
Starting wage $3773.40/year ending wage $4450/year
November 9,1949
Work Improvement Program – Supervisor Trainee
April 15, 1953
Personnel Assistant
Increase of pay to $4575/year
May 10, 1953
Supervisory Personnel Assistant
Increase of pay to $4955/year
---------- we have his personnel file to this date
Retired at this position in 1969
STORIES
John used to go hunting and fishing with friends from work and occasionally would combine with some of the Finn friends. One time, one of the men from work brought along a friend and John didn’t know who he was. Everyone was around the campfire that night and talking about a variety of subjects. This one particular “friend” kept leading the conversation to work. Since John was classified to work on secret naval ships, he was sworn to secrecy under penalty of treason. So, he wouldn’t say anything and just change the conversation. It was later found that this man was sent on this trip to see if anyone from the naval shipyard talked out of turn. In those days there was a phrase “loose lips, sink ships.” In this case, since they were working on the first nuclear submarine, it was extremely sensitive information. It was a test of John’s loyalty to his oath, which he passed with flying colors.
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