John Roland Redman was born on January 31, 1898, in Reno, Nevada to Mrs. Katherine Williams Redman, and Joseph R. Redman. He received an appointment to the Naval Academy in 1915 and was commissioned as an Ensign on June 7, 1918.
In November 1920, he started his duty duty career and served in the USS NEW YORK (BB 34), followed by USS PAUL HAMILTON (DD 307), the USS TATTNALL (DD 125) and the USS LaVALLETTE (DD 315).
He returned to the United States for instruction in radio engineering. He was ordered to Asiatic Station, and reported for duty on the staff of the Commander Destroyer Squadron, Asiatic Fleet, until October 1926, when he joined the USS ARIZONA (BB 39). Detached in June 1927, he was then assigned as the Assistant District Communication Officer, Twelfth Naval District. In August 1929, he reported as Executive Officer of the USS ZEILIN (DD 313), followed by the USS CLAXTON (DD 140) and the USS EVANS (DD 78).
Between June 1932 and May 1934, he was assigned to the Office of Naval Communications, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Navy Department, Washington, D.C., after which he held two staff positions until June 1936. On February 5, 1938, he assumed command of the USS DALE (DD 353). In December of the same year Redman was relieved and was transferred to duty in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Navy Department. He was serving in the Inter-department Communication Liaison Division, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, at the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
From February to October, 1942, he served as Head, Radio Intelligence Section, Division of Naval Communications. In October, he joined the staff of Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet, and Pacific Ocean Areas. On May 2, 1945, he assumed command of the USS MASSACHUSETTS (BB 59).
He became Commander of the Naval Receiving Station, Treasure Island, San Francisco, California, until January 1947 at which time he was designated Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff to the Commander Western Sea Frontier. In July 1947, he assumed duty as Deputy Commander Western Sea Frontier, until August 1949, when he reported as Director of Naval Communications, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Department of the Navy. In August 1953, he again reported as Deputy Commander Western Sea Frontier.
He became Commandant, Twelfth Naval District, with headquarters in San Francisco, California, on February 8, 1954. On October 1, 1957, he was transferred to the Retired List of the U.S. Navy and was advanced to the rank of Vice Admiral on the basis of a combat award.
Vice Admiral Redman’s first wife was the former Elizabeth Clemens, also of Reno. They were married in Reno on April 30, 1924. Mrs. Redman died in the Oakland, California, on October 14, 1955. They had one daughter, Mary Elizabeth. Admiral Redman was re-married in Fresno, California, on December 10, 1956 to the former Miss Lillian Peterson.
Vice Admiral Redman died on May 29, 1970. He was 72 years old.
Source: Echoes of Our Past
31 January 2019 at 16:49
Thanks for posting this biographical sketch of Vice Admiral John R. Redman, Mario. Do you know, or do you know of someone who may know, the exact date in February 1942 when John R. Redman relieved Captain Safford as head of OP-20-G? I’d also like to know when Rear Admiral Leigh Noyes was relieved by Rear Admiral Joseph R. Redman. I’d love to be able to obtain a history of the Office of Naval Communications, if such is available. Thanks very much, and thanks again for posting this biography of VADM John R. Redman!
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5 April 2019 at 18:11
I have read some uncomplimentary things about the Redman brothers’ conclusions and advice in the early part of the war, particularly in the run up to Midway. This was critically important to the Pacific outcome at the time. Any views?
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8 August 2020 at 00:11
https://stationhypo.com/2016/11/17/officer-who-broke-japanese-war-codes-gets-belated-honor/
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27 August 2020 at 13:17
Redman brothers were snakes- plotted against Rochefort- Redmans should have been busted and kicked out of the Navy- worthless , self serving jackssses .
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27 August 2020 at 19:52
Anytime someone, anyone wishes to make the kind of critical remark “Anonymous” above has done and doesn’t let people know who he/she really is, is, in my opinion a coward. My advice to Mr./Ms. Anonymous is not to base what you think about the Redmans on what was written about them in “And I Was There”: Pearl Harbor and Midway – Breaking the Secrets. That book’s editor was the late Bruce Lee (not the actor). Lee also edited, posthumously, At Dawn We Slept: The Untold Story of Pearl Harbor and coauthored Pearl Harbor: Final Judgement with the late Henry C. Clausen. For an interesting exercise in finding lies that become history, read Clausen’s testimony to the JCC on Pearl Harbor after the war and compare his public testimony with the nonsense written in Pearl Harbor Final Judgement. Two specific areas of concern are in what the book states about the three general officer members of the Army Pearl Harbor Board from 1944, and what Clausen testified to about the so-called winds execute message. (The Clausen Investigation found evidence, it’s in part 35 of the Pearl Harbor Attack Hearings, that British intelligence in Manila, yes, Manila, had furnished one of their agents on Oahu information that the winds execute had been intercepted. The “(Gerald S.) Wilkinson telegram” was carbon copied to Captain Irving H. Mayfied, LtCol. George W. Bicknell, and Robert L. Shivers. This was done prior to 7 Dec. 1941. My conclusion is that Bruce Lee played a major part after the fact in the cover up of Pearl Harbor.) Andrew “Andy” McKane IV.
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15 December 2020 at 01:33
I would like to research more about this topic, and would be interested in hearing what sources or books you might recommend (@pearlharbormckane). I am related to John Redman, although never knew him. I can probably get you the dates you ask about from my father, his grandson.
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16 December 2020 at 19:15
Dear Mr. or Ms. Christensen: Thank you very much for contacting me through the Station HYPO blog. I’m elated to hear from a member of the Redman family. Unfortunately or fortunately, at the present time I’m on Oahu without a proper desktop computer and without our research files and also with our library of Pearl Harbor, Intelligence and Communications Intelligence related publications. My wife and I live on the Island of Molokai and come over to Oahu each year for the activities surrounding the 7th of December. We will fly back to Molokai this coming Friday afternoon. I’ll give you my contact information so you can contact me directly. Cellphone is: 808-658-5137; email address is: amckane4@reagan.com.
I believe the Redman brothers, both John and Joseph, were given a phony rap in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor. What’s been claimed about them isn’t that much different from what was (and still is) claimed about Richmond Kelly Turner, Sherman Miles, Kendall J Fielder, and various others who are involved in the Pearl Harbor story.
It’s my belief—much stronger word to use than “opinion” would be—that in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor and in order to cover up the high degree of intelligence, mostly communications intelligence the Navy had on Japan’s plans and intentions, an alternate “history” was created to make it appear there were many failures within our military, both Army and Navy, that resulted in America’s failure to predict the possibility (actually probability) of a “surprise” Japanese raid on the U.S. Pacific Fleet and Oahu’s airbases at the outbreak of war. (U.S. war plans from both Oahu and Washington, D.C. are very specific in realizing such an attack was likely at the outbreak of war between Japan and the United States.)
I’ve read all 39-volumes of the Pearl Harbor Attack Hearings. I have great respect for every Army and Navy officer in both Washington and Hawaii that was serving in any position of great responsibility in the period leading up to the Japanese attack. I’ve studied these people as well as the events themselves carefully and with total resolve since October 1983. My interest in Pearl Harbor history dates back to 1955-1956 when the McKane family first lived on Oahu. I was about 7 years old when I came under the spell of Pearl Harbor. It is, to this day, my greatest interest in life.
A major reason it’s taken over 36 years to seriously research U.S. entry into WWII and to still not have a book or even an article in publication on the subject are problems with my own conscience and my sincere desire to never write or say anything that will be harmful to the Armed Forces of the United States and to them men and women who serve in our Armed Forces. I can be extremely critical when I suspect incompetence, inability, or bad conduct is involved on someone’s part. But I have yet to find any example of this in the period leading up to the events of 7 December 1941. It’s my belief our decision makers allowed “a small sacrifice” to unify the American people behind the war effort. I am not a critic of this, as I believe, in the strategic sense, it saved millions of lives, both here and in other nations.
The type font on this miserable laptop computer of mine is so small I cannot reliably read what I’ve written here. Please forgive me for any errors of grammar, etc. And please contact me directly after I’ve returned to my home on Molokai. You can call me anytime Saturday. My wife and I will be in church on Sunday, but after church I’ll be available to speak with you. I very much hope to hear from you!! I’d also appreciate being able to talk with or write to your father, the grandson of John R. Redman.
Thank you very much, Courtney, for contacting me, and thanks to Mario for all that he does with the Station HYPO blog and website.
Most sincerely yours,
Andy McKane
PO Box 166
Maunaloa, Hawaii 96770
I also have Pearl Harbor McKane and Andrew “Andy” McKane Facebook pages
We don’t get mail delivery to our home on Molokai. The PO Box is our mailing address.
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