If you knew or served with this Sailor and have additional information or photos to support this Page, please leave a message for the Page Administrator(s) HERE.
Casualty Info
Home Town Coatesville, Pennsylvania
Last Address Robert is remembered on the Tablets of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in Manila, Philippines
Casualty Date Oct 13, 1944
Cause KIA-Killed in Action
Reason Air Loss, Crash - Sea
Location Pacific
Conflict World War II/Asiatic-Pacific Theater/Asiatic-Pacific Specified Raids (1944)/Formosa Air Battle
Location of Interment Buried at Sea, Pacific Ocean
Other Memories Robert enlisted in the United States Navy on August 27, 1942. He was a very patriotic young man, and wanted to have an opportunity to serve his country in the great time of need.
After boot camp Robert was sent to the Naval Air Technical Training Center in Millingtown, Tennessee (just outside of Memphis), training as an Aviation Radio Operator. He was then sent for Gunnery training at the Naval Air Gunnery School at Hollywood Florida.
Robert then received Aviation Operation Training at the Opaloca Air Station, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. . There he trained as the radio operator/ gunner on a TBM Avenger Torpedo bomber. The Avenger was a rather large single engined carrier based bomber, with a crew of 3: Pilot, Gunner (Dorsal Turret behind the pilot), and Radio Operator. The Radio Operator also manned a gun in the bottom rear of the aircraft, he had to literally lay on his stomach facing rearward to fire the gun. An excellent example of this aircraft is found at the Mid Atlantic Aircraft Museum in Reading, PA. (This is the same type of aircraft that former President Bush flew during World War II). This extensive training took nearly a year, after which he achieved the rating of Aviation Radio Man 2nd Class.