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Eugene Claude Ipox, Jr., TM1
to remember
Keehan, Robert James, CPO.
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Contact Info
Home Town Milwaukee
Date of Passing Sep 08, 2012
Location of Interment Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery (VA) - San Diego, California
KEEHAN, ROBERT JAMES Bob was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin July 25, 1923, to the late James Keehan and Agnes (Reedy) Keehan and passed away peacefully, September 8, 2012, at the age of 89 years in Escondido, California. In 1940 he left his beloved boyhood state and joined the United States Navy where he became a sailor in the submarine fleet. When World War II broke out, December 7, 1941, he was on the USS Sturgeon in Manila Harbor in the Philippine Islands. The USS Sturgeon was immediately dispatched on a war patrol to the area of Formosa. During the next three years the Sturgeon, operating out of Brisbane, Australia, played an important role in the history of the war in the Pacific Ocean where it ran eight war patrols and destroyed many Japanese ships. Late in 1944 he was reassigned to a new submarine, the USS Lizardfish, and served on two more war patrols. At the conclusion of World War II Bob remained in Hawaii where he distinguished himself as the star pitcher for the U.S. Navy's inter-service baseball team. Bob remained in the U.S. Navy until 1963 and retired as Chief Petty Officer engineering. Bob always expressed a deep respect for the commanding officers under which he served and his shipmates who prayed together as their submarine was being depth charged after an attack on enemy ships. Bob is survived by his sister Patricia Maultra and her husband Bud of EI Cajon, California and his many nieces, nephews and friends. He was preceded in death by his sister, Jean Seder of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and his beloved wife Julie Frodsham from Parker, Arizona. Bob and Julie lived in Escondido, traveled widely and had many close friends. He and Julie organized many reunions for his retired submarine shipmates. Services will be held at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, October 24, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers please send donations to the Wounded Warrior Project.
Chain of Command Comdr. Ovid M. Butler in command.
Other Memories USS Lizardfish (SS-373), a Balao-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy named for the lizardfish, a slender marine fish having a scaly lizardlike head and large mouth.
Lizardfish (SS-373) was laid down 14 March 1944 by Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, Wisc.; launched 16 July 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Lansdale G. Sasscer; wife of Congressman Sasscer of Maryland; and commissioned 30 December 1944, Comdr. Ovid M. Butler in command.
Lizardfish departed the Manitowoc River 20 January 1945 for Lockport, Ill., where she was loaded on a floating drydock and towed down the Mississippi River. She arrived at Algiers, La., 1 February and put to sea 5 days later for the Panama Canal and Pearl Harbor, arriving 23 March.
Lizardfish left Pearl Harbor on her first war patrol 9 April 1945. Topping off with fuel at Saipan on the 21st, she set course for the South China Sea. The submarine maintained a thorough close-in patrol of Indochina between 30 April and 18 May but contacted no enemy traffic. From 23 May to 28 May a similar painstaking patrol in the Java Sea produced no enemy contacts. Completing this arduous patrol, Lizardfish arrived Fremantle, Australia, 2 June.
Lizardfish got underway 28 June 1945 on her second patrol in the Java and South China Seas. Throughout this well-planned and aggressive patrol the submarine sought out targets and carried destruction to the enemy in confined harbors, straits, and anchorages. After careful submerged reconnaissance, she made two daring daylight gun attacks within range of shore batteries.
On 5 July she entered the coral-fringed bay of Chelukan Bawang, Bali, discovering four landing barges, a 250-ton sea truck, and a 100-ton submarine chaser, all heavily camouflaged. She made a submerged run and sank Submarine Chaser Alo. 37, then battle-surfaced and opened her deck guns. Her 5-inch (130 mm) salvos started a gasoline fire which destroyed a nest of four landing barges. She then demolished a boat shed and ripped apart the bow of a sea truck inside. Leaving this target in a flaming mass, she headed out to sea.
On 19 July near Sunda Strait she was patrolling southward along the western shore when she sighted a convoy of sea trucks. The submarine surfaced and commenced firing at the closest target, started a brisk fire, and shifted targets. Meanwhile a shore battery opened up and was lobbing shells close by. When ammunition was expended, Lizardfish submerged, leaving behind three ships burning fiercely. She surfaced that night and headed for lifeguard station off Singapore in support of Army B-24Liberator bomber strikes. The submarine arrived Subic Bay, Philippines, 6 August and was there when Japan capitulated 9 days later.
Lizardfish received one battle star for World War II service.
Lizardfish cleared Subic Bay 31 August and set course for the West Coast, touched Pearl Harbor, and arrived San Francisco 22 September. At Eureka, Calif., 24 October for Navy Day celebrations, Lizardfish 5 days later tied-up at Tiburon, Calif., remaining there until 2 January 1946 when she got underway to act as schoolship for the Sonar School at San Diego, Calif. She completed her training services 5 March and reported for inactivation at San Francisco. After operations off the California coast, she decommissioned, and entered the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Mare Island Navy Yard, 24 June 1946.