Roen Dean Griffiths

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Bio

Roen Dean Griffiths was born in Bend, Oregon, on June 1, 1931. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and served during the Korean War. After assignments in Illinois, Texas, and Alabama, Roen was deployed for a year to the sweltering heat of French Morocco. He often recounted the inventive ways the men at the base tried to cope with the relentless temperatures. For example, they would sleep uncovered on soaked towels, hoping to stay just a little cooler during the stifling nights.

During his deployment, Roen had to leave behind his young wife and toddler, missing the birth of his first daughter. Although he was not a pilot, Roen played a vital role in the war effort as a specialist in electronics and communications. He ensured that communication facilities ran smoothly, generators operated reliably, and critical messages were transmitted without fail.

Roen earned two stripes during his military career—one for completing basic training and another for graduating with honors from military electronic school. While stationed at the transmitting facility in Morocco, Roen received an invitation to attend a religious retreat in Germany. At the same time, he was up for promotion and needed to appear before the promotion board. The retreat and the board meeting overlapped, forcing Roen to choose. Deeply committed to his faith, he attended the retreat. Upon his return to base, he was surprised to find his name on the promotion board. His commanding officer had advocated on his behalf, ultimately securing Roen’s promotion.

After the war, Roen returned to Utah. He worked in electronics and the communications industry throughout his career.

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Transmitters