Photo By Master Sgt. Nicholas Carzis | U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Anthony Phillips, of the California Army National Guard's...... read more read more
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VENTURA, Calif. – Soldiers from the California Army National Guard's Battery B, 1st Battalion, 143rd Field Artillery Regiment, provided a drive-by motorcade of Humvees and tactical vehicles decorated with happy birthday signs to celebrate retired U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Larry Ogburn's 94th birthday, May 25, 2020, in Ventura.
Multiple military vehicles lead a parade along the road in front of Ogburn's house, followed by a small caravan filled with friends and local community members wishing to celebrate with the World War II veteran as they maintain a safe social distance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ogburn is presented with two gifts created by the battalion to include a custom happy birthday sign and a unit challenge coin from Sgt. 1st Class Anthony Phillips.
Ogburn, born in the small rural town of Cowgill, Missouri, worked as a ranch hand in his early youth before moving to Lynwood, California, in 1939 at the age of 13. His affinity for cars began in his early childhood and he began to drive at the age of 7. Ogburn continued to work as a ranch hand late into his teens until his 18th birthday, where he would enlist in the U.S. Army at a recruiting station in Oxnard.
Shortly after finishing an 11-week basic training, he was re-assigned to Camp Roberts for 13 months to provide weapons training for soldiers who had completed basic training as Acting Cpl. At the end of his duty at Camp Roberts, Ogburn promoted to sergeant shortly before World War II ended.
Ogburn wondered where his military career would take him during a time with so much uncertainty.
"The war had ended, and I wondered what I would do now. It wasn't long before I found out I was going overseas. Next thing I know, I was at L.A. harbor boarding one of the largest transport ships in the service, the USS General O. H. Ernst, with 3,000 other troops and headed for Yokohama, Japan," said Ogburn.
"From there, I had my 20th birthday, and I set up offices to provide food, fuel, and everything regarding the rebuilding of Japan’s city, assisting their civil authorities as the103rd Military Government Group, 8th Army under the command of Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower,” said Ogburn.
Ogburn says once he arrived in the city, he continued to help facilitate a lot of meetings between the local officials with the help of a translator. Helping rebuild the infrastructure, Ogburn utilized giant earth-moving machines and operated heavy equipment to move large shipments of resources into the city.
“By the time I got to the town of Tsuruga, there was nothing left except for about ten buildings and some scrap. The whole town had burned down, and we knew we had to get the town and its people get going. Without a lot of knowledge of how to use those machines, I took charge of offloading the boats containing fuel and supplies for about 11 months. I had my 20th birthday in Japan shortly after becoming the motor pool sergeant,” said Ogburn.
Shortly after, Ogburn returned stateside to Camp Beale and received an honorable discharge from the Army. Traveling back to Ventura, California, he was greeted by his father and his first wife on a day he remembers fondly.
“I rode down on one of those old Greyhound buses from Beale. They told us if we lived close to home, we didn’t need a pass to leave, so that’s what I did. When I got to Ventura, my dad had picked up my first wife from L.A. and had driven up with her to pick me up on the day of our first Anniversary, and that was it,” said a laughing Ogburn.
Ogburn returned to farm life working on a farm in Hidden Valley, California, for one year before moving to Los Angeles in 1947 to work as a car mechanic for DeSoto-Plymouth. Ogburn’s love of cars eventually steered him into the path of history, participating in the Mobile Economy Run in the early ’50s, while also building a race car that would win the Indianapolis 500 back-to-back in 1957 & 1958.
“That year, we had our first-born baby boy. I went to work as a welder and mechanic for the dealership before I would open my garage for 30 years in Santa Fe Springs, California.
"I ended up becoming a mechanic for the rest of my life. I helped build the winning race car in the Indianapolis 500 for two years. Sam Hanks and Jimmy Brian were our divers that both won the race in both 57’ and 58’,” said Ogburn.
“That little car is in the Indianapolis museum now, the ‘Belond Exhaust Special.’ It was the only car to win the Indianapolis 500 with a Chevrolet engine,” said Ogburn.
On the 25th Anniversary of the ‘Belond Exhaust Special’s’ victory in the Indianapolis 500, Ogburn traveled to the same racetrack to witness the vehicle take a few laps commemorating the event. On the same day, they would place the car in the Indianapolis Car Museum.
“I went from being a little farm-boy wearing big overalls and a dollar watch, goin' around the world with the U.S. Army, to end up winning the Indianapolis 500,” said Ogburn with a laugh.
On the day of his 94th birthday, Ogburn, surrounded by family, stares at his happy birthday sign delivered from the 143rd Field Artillery Regiment and smiles.
With his U.S. Army uniform hanging in the doorway behind him, he and his wife wave to the caravan in the street, wishing him a happy birthday.
“I’m so pleased and happy. I can’t describe how I feel to see the Soldiers from the Battalion. I have had such a good life, and this birthday was great. I’m going to keep this sign and coin with me forever,” said Ogburn.
| Date Taken: | 05.30.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 06.02.2020 00:48 |
| Story ID: | 371144 |
| Location: | VENTURA, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 120 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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