Comments/Citation:
Robert Sinclair Booth, Jr. was born, on 25 January 1915 in Hickory, North Carolina, the only child of Robert Sinclair Booth, Sr (3 Mar 1889 - 13 Dec 1954) and Annie Link Booth (2 Aug 1890 - 19 Feb 1952). Shortly after Robert Jr. was born his family moved from North Carolina to Washington, D,C, in order for Robert Sr. to pursue his career in government.
Robert grew up and attended schools in the Washington, D.C. area. Robert attended Central High School and was active in school activities and social clubs, such as, The Cadets where, he served as a Captain and then as a Lieutenant in Company “E” in 1932., the Rifle Team, The Officers Club where he was the Treasurer, Served on the Student Council, help with the school publications, was a member of the Epsilon Mu Sigma and was a member of the National Honor Society in 1931. Robert’s goal, as stated in his yearbook, was to become an Electrical Engineer.
After graduation from Central High School Robert enrolled in the University of Maryland, College Park, Md., for three years, majoring in electrical engineering. After completing his college education Robert worked a seaman on ships of the Baltimore Mail (headquartered in Baltimore) and Isthmian Lines (Headquartered in London, England). These ships made landfall in ports such as in France, Germany, Egypt, Arabia, India, Malaya and South Africa. On 25 March 1939 Robert departed from France and returned to the United States on 31 March 1939 landing at the Port of New York
On 9 July 1940 Robert enlisted in the Naval Reserve with the rank of Apprentice Seaman and began training with the USS Wyoming (BB-32). On 9 Aug 1940 A.S. Booth received an honorable discharge from the Naval Reserve. On 10 Aug 1940 A.S. Booth receved an appointment as a midshipman in the Naval Reserve and began training at the Naval Reserve Midshipman’s School in New York and was quartered on the USS Illinois (BB-7) reclassified (IX-15) 8 January 1941 and renamed Prairie State. During World War II she served as a U. S. Naval Reserve Midshipmen Training School in New York.
A.S. Booth completed his training on 13 Nov 1940 and received a commission as Ensign, Serial Number: O-095322 on 14 Nov 1940. Ensign Booth was ordered for duty to the USS Arizona (BB-39) and arrived onboard 1 Dec 1940 Serving in the E Division (Engineering) battle station in the aft distribution room on the 1st platform deck.
On the morning of 7 December 1941, a fleet of Japanese carriers launched an air strike against the U.S. Pacific Fleet at anchor in Pearl Harbor, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. The attack decimated the ships and personnel of the fleet and thrust the United States into World War II. At the onset of the 7 December 1941 attack, the battleship USS Arizona (BB-39) was moored at berth Fox 7 on “Battleship Row.” The repair ship Vestal (AR-4) was on the port side; and the starboard side faced the northeastern shore of Ford Island. Just before 8 am, the ship’s air raid alarm was sounded and the crew was ordered to general quarters. During the attack the battleship was struck by four aerial bombs, including one 1,700-lb armor-piercing shell which penetrated the deck near the Number 2 Turret and detonated in the smokeless powder magazine, causing a “cataclysmic” explosion “which destroyed the ship forward” and ignited a fire which burned for two days. Most of the Arizona crewmen who perished in the attack died instantly during the explosion. The ship quickly sank to the bottom of the harbor along with 1,177 of the 1,512 personnel on board, representing about half the total number of Americans killed that day.
Ensign Robert Sinclair Booth was one of those sailors and personnel who were lost to this attack. Ensign Booth was the first American Serviceman from Washington, D.C. to lose his life during WWII.
Ensign Booth is memorialized at Courts of the Missing, Court 5, Honolulu Memorial, 2177 Puowaina Drive, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813-1729. This is an American Battle Monuments Commission location.
Ensign Booth's parents also made application to Arlignton National Cemetery and received permission for burial of their son in Section MG Site 216 with full Military HonorsSection MG Site 216Section MG Site 216Section MG Site 216
U.S. Navy Honors Fallen Sailor
Ensign Booth was the first Washington, D.C. serviceman to be lost in the war - as a result, the USS Booth (DE-170), a Cannon-class destroyer escort, was built for the United States Navy and named in his honor less than two years later. The USS Booth served in the Atlantic Ocean and then the Pacific Ocean and provided escort service against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys.
She was laid down on 30 January 1943 at Newark, New Jersey, by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co.; launched on 21 June 1943; named for Ensign Robert Sinclair Booth, who was assigned to the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor, the first Washington, DC serviceman to die in the war.
The USS Booth (DE-170) was sponsored by Ensign’s Booth's Mother, Mrs. Annie L. Booth and towed by ocean-going tug AT-208 from her building yard to Norfolk, Virginia, via the Cape Cod Canal (24-26 June 1943). She was completed at the Norfolk Navy Yard; and commissioned there on 18 September 1943 with Lt. Comdr. Donald W. Todd in command.
The Society of Sponsors of the United States Navy is composed of women who have taken part in the time honored tradition of christening a ship to be commissioned in the United States Navy, or a ship that sails with the Navy, supporting the fleet in some specific way. Sponsors play a unique role for the Navy. As they christen their ships, bestowing upon the vessel a name chosen by the Secretary of the Navy, they become a part of that ship’s history. The crew of the ship may change many times over the course of a ship’s life, but the Sponsor remains the same. Most Sponsors form a warm and lasting relationship with their ships, an affiliation that is rewarding to both.
Posthumous Awards:
Purple Heart
American Defense Service Medal
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
WWII Victory Medal
Combat Action Ribbon
American Campaign Medal
Navy Presidential Unit Citation
Navy Good Conduct Medal
Navy Expeditionary Medal
All Gave Some, Some Gave All
References:
Ancertry.com
Newspapers.com
Findagrave.com
Wikipedia
HonorStates.org
www.ussarizona.org
Military Hall of Honor
ussarizona.org
U.S. Census Records
Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists
societyofsponsorsofusn.org
This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars, Pearl Harbor Project (see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen here on Together We Served.. Related to this, there will be a smart phone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story. We welcome volunteers to help write these stories.
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