Norio "Nori" Bruce Endo was born in Oakland, CA on April 4, 1934 and was the oldest of three sons to Kikuo and Lily Endo. He was raised in Salinas, CA until World War II at which time his entire family was interned in Poston, AZ Relocation Camp #2. After release from the relocation camp with his parents and younger brothers, the family moved to Minneapolis, MN for one year and then to Riverdale, MD where he attended Calvert Holmes Elementary School and Riverdale Junior High School. This is when Nori showed his first love of flying by building and flying balsa wood aircraft models.