John R. Breeze, a native of Pocatello, Idaho and resident of El Centro, California; passed away in Pioneers Memorial Hospital in Brawley, California. He was predeceased by parents William Henry and Florence Butterfield Breeze; and sister Virginia Fanciullo.

John was survived by his sons Robert A. Breeze and John W. Breeze (wife Joann); former wife Galina "Lee" Breeze, all of El Centro; brother Matt Breeze (wife Anna) of Idaho; and sisters: Vivian Dodge of Oregon and Ellen Olive of Idaho.

John was a veteran of World War II and the Korean War and retired as a Major from the U.S. Marine Corps in 1958. He fought in Bataan and Corregidor and spent three and a half years as a prisoner of war by Imperial Japan. While in captivity, John was credited with saving the lives of many of his co-prisoners. Among his awards are the Silver Star, Purple Heart, the U.S. Treasury Lifesaving Medal and over 40 combat ribbons. After retirement from the Marine Corps, he worked as an aerospace engineer, working on the Atlas Missile Project and served as a pioneer in the development of stealth technology. Private burial was in Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in Point Loma, California.

(Extracted from The Quan, Mar-Apr 2003, Volume 57, #5)

John Breeze (1918)