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Contact Info
Home Town Coaling, Alabama
Last Address Naples, Florida. Internment service was held at Dees-Parish Family Funeral Home in Lake City, FL.
Date of Passing Apr 10, 2015
Location of Interment Memorial Cemetery - Lake City, Florida
WILLIAM "BILL" ROY, USN and USNR (Ret.) WWII Combat Photographer and Intelligence Officer
William Glenn Roy, "Bill", began his military service with the Florida National Guard in a machine-gun company, making three summer training missions. The last one was at Camp Foster which is now the site of the Naval Air Station, Jacksonville.
He entered naval service in 1939, with his first assignment aboard the battleship USS Arkansas (BB-33) in the engineering department, then as a boat engineer. Collateral duty was as ship's photographer.
In 1941, Bill Roy was ordered to the Naval School of Photography and subsequently reported to the carrier USS Yorktown (CV-5). He flew missions during the Marshall-Gilbert Island Campaign as an observer and photographer. During the Battle of the Coral Sea, Bill was stationed on the open bridge. His still and motion picture photography of this battle and the sinking of the carrier USS Lexington (CV-2) were made into a film by the Navy.
At the Battle of Midway, on June 4,1942, Bill Roy took station on the signal bridge and made motion and still pictures of the battle. When the order came to abandon the crippled Yorktown, he preserved the historic film footage by taping the cans of film to his life jacket.
In July 1953, Bill Roy received a direct commission as a photographic officer. He later served as the NAS Anacosta photographic officer and Navy Intelligence Officer before going into the inactive naval reserve. He retired in 1981 as a Lieutenant Commander.
Following military service, Bill Roy furthered his education, receiving both a law degree and MBA. He continued to serve his country by playing a key role with the Martin Company at their Test Division, Cape Canaveral, Florida, for Missiles and Rocket testing, as well as similar work for the Air Force. He was then heavily involved as Contract Manager/Director in both NASA's Gemini Project for the launch of two astronauts into space and the Apollo Moon Project at Cape Kennedy.
He subsequently worked for the Dow Chemical Corporation, first as their international attorney, then as corporate counsel at their world headquarters. During this time, he served on the presidential commission for review of all Federal government procurement laws, rules, and regulations.
Upon retirement from Dow, Bill Roy entered into private law practice in Florida, and resided with his wife, Barbara, in Naples, Florida.
WILLIAM GLENN ROY, SR of Naples, FL - he was the son of Reverend Edward Lee and Sara E Roy. Preceded in death by his siblings, Frank, Paul, Charles, Roberta Merry, Edwina Hammond and Eunice Dorety, surviving are his wife, Barbara Herberg Roy of Naples; children, William, Jr of Altamonte Springs, FL, Janyth Florence Cummings of Fort Lauderdale, FL, Lynne Elizabeth Roy of Live Oak, FL; grandchildren, William, III of Lake Mary, FL, Christopher Andrew Roy of Orlando, FL, Kasey Repass of Jacksonville, FL, Mindy Nowakowski of Big Sky, MT; great-grandchildren, James, Robinson and Ryleigh Repass, Hunter & Tucker Nowakowski and Camden James Roy. Bill was a WWII, U.S. Navy veteran who served as a combat photographer on the USS Yorktown, continued in the Naval Reserve as a photo intelligence officer and retired as a Commander. He was the director photography for the Martin Aircraft Company, earned his law degree, was admitted into the Maryland, Michigan, DC and Florida Bar Associations and became the contracts manager for the Martin's Titan II, Gemini and Titan III missile programs at Cape Canaveral. He worked for Catalytic-Dow on the Saturn-Apollo moon programs at Kennedy Space Center, became an attorney for Dow Chemical in Washington, DC and Midland, MI representng Dow in litigation and was involved with contracts management and oversight. He was an adjunct professor at FIT in Melbourne, FL and was a member of the Elks Club, Lions Club, VFW, Masonic Lodge and many WWII Associations. Funeral services will be held at the Dees-Parish Family Funeral Home in Lake City, FL on April 20,2015 followed by a graveside service. A Memorial service will be held at the Naples United Church of Christ in Naples, FL. Published in the Orlando Sentinel on Apr. 15, 2015.
Other Comments:
Bill Roy's commendation from Admiral Nimitz
WILLIAM G. ROY, Photographer's Mate 2nd Class, U.S. Navy,
for service as set forth in the following COMMENDATION:
"For heroic conduct and meritorious service in the line of his profession as a member of the volunteer salvage crew which attempted on June 6, 1942, to salvage and return the USS YORKTOWN to port. Knowing full well that the YORKTOWN was in a precarious condition because of damage received in the battle on June 5, 1942, that she was barely seaworthy, and that she would probably be the target of repeated submarine and air attacks against which it would be very difficult to defend her, he requested that he be allowed to return to the ship and assist in her salvage. The effort of the salvage party were so successful that all remaining fires were out and two degrees of list had been removed when, in the mid-afternoon, the ship was struck by two torpedoes fired from an enemy submarine. His conduct was in accordance with the best traditions of the naval service".
LCdr William G. Roy, USN (Ret). Mr. Roy describes his experience as a member of the salvage party on board the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-5) during the Battle of Midway. LCdr Roy is a long time Naval Historical Foundation member.
