Service in Black and White
by Lauren Perry
Photos of Julian Dracon courtesy of the Honor Bell Foundation
Julian R. Dracon
July 14, 1933-August 7, 2015
A lifetime of dedication to the military and to our country is something worth celebrating and respecting. But a lifetime of dedication to one’s profession and one’s dreams is just as important. Julian Dracon found a way to do both simultaneously. His dedication to the United States Navy and his passion for printing will last more than just his lifetime.
Julian Russell Dracon was born July 14, 1933 to parents Joseph and Gladys Dracopolous (shortened to Dracon).[1] Joseph and Gladys got divorced when Julian was young and Gladys raised Julian and his siblings, Mary, Jean, and John, on her own.[2] In the late 40’s, the Dracon’s moved to Billings, Montana, where they fell upon hard times. Gladys could not seem to find a job in the Billings school system and they were living in tents in a junkyard with an old truck for a kitchen.[3] They were unable to find rooms or housing due to the housing shortage that was happening in 1949.[4]
In 1951, Julian graduated from Billings High School and enlisted in the US Navy where he discovered his life-long passion for printing. He joined the Navy as a lithographer. In the Navy, the rating of lithographer is a combination of photographic specialists and printers because the technology of the time eliminated the need for those individual ratings. Today, that rating has been eliminated and changed to mass communications because of new technology and development. The job of a lithographer was important, yet, seemingly underrated. They were in charge of all printed material aboard their ship and were prepared to work with all different types of technology. Working with everything from high speed copiers to digital printing systems to cameras, lithographers had arguably one of the busiest jobs aboard.[5]
Not long after joining the Navy, Julian met his future wife, Betty Glandine VanKirk. Three years later, in November of 1955, they were married[6]. On September 3, 1956, their first daughter, Juldine, was born in Billings, Montana. Two years later, Julian was sailing aboard the USS Des Moines as a Navy Lithographer second class. He landed in Lebanon “as part of a task force that will put United States marines ashore in Lebanon.”[7] This task force was just a small part in the large plan to invade the country. In total, this operation, now known as the Lebanon Crisis, consisted of over 14,000 men from many different battalions in the Army, the Marines, and the Navy.
Later that year, Julian was promoted to Lithographer First Class and re-enlisted in the Navy for another six years.[8] In 1959 and 1960, he served in Japan aboard the USS Saint Paul,[9] a ship with an outstanding military history in World War Two and the Korean War. There was hardly a major battle in the Pacific that didn’t involve this ship. The USS Saint Paul made her home port in Yokosuka, Japan.[10] Betty and little Juldine, now two years old, traveled all the way to Japan to be with Julian. Aboard his new home as a lithographer, Julian was responsible for printing the ship’s newspaper, plans of the day, operating schedules, and newsletters.[11]
In mid-January of 1961, Betty and Juldine landed in San Francisco, California[12] and two months later, Betty gave birth to their second daughter, Elizabeth.[13] Julian came home to Billings, Montana with his family the following year.[14] While stationed in Seattle, Washington on November 21, 1965, the Dracon’s welcomed son Donald to the family.[15] The Dracon’s moved around for Julian’s various Navy assignments until he retired from the Navy in 1976.[16] That same year, he was approved for the Navy Commendation Medal.[17] This medal is presented to Navy veterans who “distinguish themselves by heroism, outstanding achievement or meritorious service.”[18]
After retiring from the military, Julian remained close to his Navy roots as the family settled in the Denver area.[19] He started several organizations such as the Armed Forces E-9er’s Association (dedicated to fighting for veteran’s rights and benefits) and the Navy Lithographers Association and was a member of the Fleet Reserve Association. At the Naval Academy, he volunteered as a Blue and Gold Officer (helping prospective students with the admissions process). He was also a member of many fraternal and religious groups dedicated to serving the community, such as the Masonic Order, Shiners, Order of the Eastern Star and AHEPA.
After working at A. B. Dick (a company who sells printing supplies), Julian’s life-long passion for printing led him to creating his own business, Jiffy Reproduction and Duplicating, that he owned and operated for over 40 years until the time of his death.[20] The company is still operating in Centennial, Colorado today.[21]
LICM Julian R. Dracon died on August 7, 2015.[22] In 2016, his family donated his Navy Commendation Medal to the Honor Bell Foundation.[23] His medal, along with 11 other veteran’s artifacts, were transformed into a bronze bell that is, almost literally, forged from honor. This bell is dedicated to the veterans who served and sacrificed their lives for our country and tolls at the military funerals at Fort Logan.[24]
Footnotes ↓
[1] "Julian Russell Dracon (1933-2015)” Findagrave.com. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/150939910/julian-russell-dracon.
[2] “1940 United States Federal Census,” http://ancestry.com, entry for Julian R. Dracon, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, pg. 22
[3] “Summer Student at Eastern Pitches Tent in Junk Yard,” The Billings Gazette, August 7, 1949.
[4] “Democratic Chairman Asks Housing Legislation,” The Billings Gazette, April 4, 1949.
[5] “U.S. Navy Lithographer (LI) Rating Badge,” Uniforms-4u.com, http://www.uniforms-4u.com/p-us-navy-e6-lithographer-dress-blue-rating-badge-18015.aspx.
[6] "Julian Russell Dracon (1933-2015)" Findagrave.com. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/150939910/julian-russell-dracon.
[7] The Billings Gazette, July 22, 1958.
[8] The Billings Gazette, November 14, 1958.
[9] “USS Saint Paul,” fold3.com. Entry for Julian R. Dracon, Montana: Julian R. Dracon, Billings
[10] "USS Saint Paul Association." http://www.usssaintpaulca73.org/memories/cruise-books/uss-saint-paul-1961/.
[11] Channing Zucker, email with Lauren Perry, July 24, 2018.
[12] “California, Passenger and Crew Lists,” http://ancestry.com. Entry for Betty Dracon.
[13] “California Birth Index,” http://ancestry.com. Entry for Elizabeth Dracon, Birth Date: 30 Mar 1961.
[14] “Real Estate Transfers,” The Billings Gazette, August 17, 1962.
[15] “Born Yesterday,” The Seattle Times, November 22, 1965.
[16] "Julian Russell Dracon (1933-2015)” Findagrave.com. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/150939910/julian-russell-dracon.
[17] "Awards Information Management System." National Archives and Records Administration. 1993. https://aad.archives.gov/aad/free-text-search-results.jsp?cat=GP23&bc=sl&q=Julian+R.+Dracon&btnSearch=Search&as_alq=&as_anq=&as_epq=&as_woq=.
[18] “Navy Commendation Medal,” Seawold-ssn575.com. http://www.seawolf-ssn575.com/ssn575/NCM.htm.
[19] "Julian Russell Dracon (1933-2015)" Findagrave.com https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/150939910/julian-russell-dracon.
[20] "Julian Russell Dracon (1933-2015)" Findagrave.com. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/150939910/julian-russell-dracon.
[21] “Jiffy Reproduction & Duplicating, Inc,” Manta.com. https://www.manta.com/c/mr5x5qr/jiffy-reproduction-duplicating-inc.
[22] "Julian Russell Dracon (1933-2015)" Findagrave.com. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/150939910/julian-russell-dracon.
[23] Bucknam, Alan. "Julian Dracon's Honor Bell Artifact." http://www.honorbell.org/news/2016/3/16/julian-dracon-artifact-donor.
[24] "Welcome." http://www.honorbell.org/.
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