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James Howland (1912 - 1996)

James Howland was an American Army Captain who sponsored my father, Howard Min, over from Korea in 1953 following the armistice.

Howland was born on August 10, 1912 at 101 North Columbia Avenue, Sheffield, AL to C.W. and Llona "Mae" Howland. The family were members at the Columbia Avenue Presbyterian Church.

Howland graduated from Sheffield High School in May of 1930.

Howland served in the European Theatre during World War II, participating in the Allied Expeditionary Force invasion of Europe at Normandy on 6 June 1944.

Howland graduated from Alabama Polytechnic Institute (which became Auburn University) on 30 August 1947 with a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering. He immediately began working for the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Howland returned to the Army for the Korean War, serving as the Captain (S-3) of an engineering battalion with the 8th Army.

My father, Hyung Shik Min, was assigned to be his translator. Howland took a liking to him and sponsored him to the US to study engineering at the University of Tennessee. Min went on to get a master's from The University of Wisconsin and a PhD from Washington University St. Louis.

Hyung Shik's brother, Jung Shik (George), also came to the US a decade later.

Hyung Shik met my mom at a church retreat and they got married at the Third Baptist Church in St. Louis, MO on 28 July 1962. Actually their legal wedding was on 13 July 1962 in Bellville, IL because Missouri didn't allow interracial marriages at the time. When Hyung Shik became an American citizen, he took the name Howard.

Howland stayed at TVA for all 26 years of his career before retiring on 31 December 1973 and traveling the world.

Howard worked at TVA, Monsanto Chemical (St. Louis), Texas Instruments (Dallas), and Boeing Aircraft (Wichita) before taking an academic position at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, LA in 1971. He retired from McNeese in 1995 following a stroke.

Howland passed away on 25 June 1996 following complications from gall bladder surgery. He is interred at Oakwood Cemetery in Sheffield, AL in a family plot with his parents.

Howard Minn passed away on 5 April 2010 following complications from intestinal surgery. He is interred at Kilpatrick's Memorial Gardens in Ruston, LA.