Horst Jeddeloh – THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE

Veteran Horst Jeddeloh

By Emma Davis

Navy veteran Horst Jeddeloh has experienced a life shaped by both the challenges and opportunities of military service. Born in Delmenhorst, Germany, in 1939, he immigrated to the United States in 1949 with his family and eventually settled in Grants Pass. Oregon. He joined the U.S. Naval Reserves while still in high school and, after graduating from Oregon State University in 1962, entered active duty in the U.S. Navy as an Ensign. His military career took him through nuclear power training and service aboard a destroyer at Pearl Harbor during the Vietnam War, experiences that would have a lasting impact on both his personal and professional life.

Following his college graduation in 1962 with a degree in engineering, he interviewed for a nuclear power program with Admiral Rickover.  “I went to DC and was interviewed by Admiral Rickover, was accepted in the program, and for the first year and a half,” Jeddeloh said. “I think I spent most of my time going to Navy schools, learning about nuclear reactors.”  He attended nuclear power school in Vallejo, CA, for technical training, followed by six months of practical training in Idaho. However, he faced challenges completing the practical portion and was ultimately reassigned. “I couldn’t finish all of the practical program in ‘62 So in the early part of 1963, I was reassigned to the destroyer in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.”

During his service aboard a World War II-class destroyer stationed in Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, he held several positions. “I was damage control assistant starting out, and then main propulsion assistant, end then the engineering officer at the end,” he said.  It was also during his time in Honolulu that he met Linda, who would become his wife in 1966.  This period of service provided him with invaluable leadership experience, particularly as an officer of the deck at such a young age, one that he still reflects on. “I’m running the destroyer or when you were officer of the deck, which means that you are totally responsible for what was happening,” he said. “So, at that age it was quite a lot of responsibility for me or for anybody that does this kind sort of stuff.”

In 1966, Jeddeloh officially left the Navy with the rank of Lieutenant.

Once home from the Navy, he transitioned to civilian life, starting with a job at Reynolds Aluminum in Troutdale, Oregon. In 1972 he moved to Germany for a role with Reynolds International, before returning to Portland 2 and a half years later, and working for Pacific Engineering Corporation. In 1976, he co-founded Jeddeloh Hayes Incorporated (JHI), a company he would help lead until his retirement in 2000.

After retiring from engineering and running a 19-year nursery business with his wife, Linda, he now resides at The Springs in Happy Valley. Reflecting on his journey, Horst Jeddeloh credits his Navy experience with shaping his confidence, leadership, and responsibility. “It’s something I didn’t think about until I was out,” he said. “You realize what you have done and what you have accomplished.”

The Navy not only provided him with technical expertise but also built the confidence and responsibility that guided him throughout his life.