Son of Robert C Barker Sr and Mary I. Barker
(only child of Robert and Mary)
Robert perished in the sinking of the USS Indianapolis on July 30, 1945 when it was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine off the coast of the Phillipines. Of the 1,196 aboard, about 900 made it into the water in the twelve minutes before she sank. Few life rafts were released. Most survivors wore the standard kapok life jacket. Due to her top secret mission, she was not reported missing. Shark attacks began with sunrise of the first day, and continued for five days until the men were finally spotted in the water and rescued. Only 316 men survived. This sailor was one of those who perished at sea. It was only fitting to find out who his family was and add it to his listing. God Bless him for his service and his family for their loss..
Robert C. Barker, Jr,. of Lebanon, enlisted in the navy May 4, 1942, and received the rating of radio technician 2/c. he served in the Aleutians for 17 months and served his first sea duty en route home from Adak, Aleutians, abroad the U.S.S. “Kimberly.” He was then assigned to the U.S.S. “Indianapolis”, flagship of 5th feet on November 30, 1944. This ship is participated in 2 air strikes on Tokyo and the preparation for the landings of troops on Okinawa. When the “Indianapolis” was first hit by Jap suicide planes, Barker was transferred to the U.S.S. “New Mexico” which was also hit by suicide planes. Being assigned again to the “Indianapolis” Radio Tech 1/c Barker lost his life when the ship was torpedoed July 30, 1945. He received the Purple Heart and victory medal posthumously.
A letter sent home:
Dear Mother And Dad:
… Left Ulithi March 14th and we didn’t know to where. Well, March 18th we were near South Japan. Had an air alert earlier this morning. We shot down 3 Japs- midmorning a carrier got a hit very near. March 19th earl A.M saw “Franklin receive several hits-about two miles from us. So many explosions and smoke we though her gone-a few destroyers and a carrier stayed with her and we went on. Planes from our carrier attacked Kyushu early next morning, March 19th. Next few days we were up and down this one area had arrived in sight of Kerama Retto-off Okinawa 24th of March. Next few days we bombarded by day and patrolled by nights till March 31st. We were approaching shore again for bombardment, we had another air raid-we had had the regular dawn F.Q. alert and had secured supposedly with no enemy planes near, for break G.Q. alert and had secured supposedly with no enemy planes near, for breakfast, I hit my sack. A few minutes later the air alert was sounded (I have no A.A station but thought to myself maybe I’d better et up and see what was cooking), but before thought to myself maybe I’d better get up and see what was cooking), but before I could really make up my mind our 20mm. guns opened up-then I knew a plane must really be close, but before I could move we were hit. The ship mattresses and stuff. I was scared, of course, but determined to be calm, so calmly dug myself out-found my glasses hanging on my bunk unharmed, calmly dug myself out-found my glasses hanging on my bunk unharmed, moved a few bunks and found my shoes. There were maybe six of us in my compartment and all ran up the ladder and out immediately but me and one other guy. This other guy had been in an upper bunk and he bumped his head on the ceiling and knocked himself out-I didn’t even know he was up there! I tried to be so calm that I realized how silly I was. I went over to my locker on the other side of the compartment from my bunk and got clean clothes, put them on-got out my toothbrush and put paste on it and then went topside to the “head” and washed my teeth. Then up to the radio shack where I looked myself over and found a nice cut on my left leg just above my knee, my elbow skinned up and 3 cuts on the button of my toes. I went to the first aid kit and painted theme with iodine. I knew that the sick bay must be pretty busy. And it was, I later learned. Well, I want down then to look over the damage-even then we were under way as fast as we could go. Well, the plane had come in on the starboard quarter, went barely over and then smack down through the port quarter. Parts of the plane went through the main deck into one corner of the mess hall-some of it and the bomb on though the mess hall deck into a sleeping compartment and the bomb on through that, through the evaporator room (evaporator room pups in salt water and makes fresh water) on through the hull of the ship and then exploded underneath the ship in the water buckled the hole it had made upwards, knocking off two of our four screws (propellers) and the supporting yoke of one the shafts. As soon as all the men that could go out of the living compartment it was dogged down and shut off to prevent flooding of the ship. Later learned that 8 men were trapped in that compartment-either instantly killed but the debris falling in there or drowned while unconscious in the oil that filled it. Oil tanks bursts and flooded it and oil being heavier held the water out. For lunch this day we had Spam sandwiches and for supper-the same thing-no fresh water! Next day-Easer-breakfast-bacon and eggs-Easter services-I attended as did almost all others except those actually working in services-I attended as did almost all others except those actually working in the salvage crews. A salvage boat came alongside and divers welded a patch on the ship’s bottom and we started pumping out the flooded compartments. Six the ship’s bottom and we started pumping out the flooded compartments. Six of the trapped men were pulled out and we had burial services for them. They of the trapped men were pulled out and had burial services for them. They were taken by boat to land and buried. For lunch we had cold meats and Spam, salad and fruit juice. Still no fresh water for washing and rationed drinking water. Drinking fountains turned on for 15 minutes at the change of watches—1200-1600-2000-2400, etc. For supper we had ham sandwiches and ice cream. That night 0030 (thirty minutes past midnight) we had an air raid alert lasting till 0630. Fired at enemy planes at 0330. There we sat unable to move-being repaired-but several fighting ships in same harbor. Breakfast this Monday morning- Spam, gravy and baking powder biscuits. Two more of the missing men found and burial services for them in afternoon. That night-another air raid alert from 0310 to 0800. During the night we heard some Jap commandos boarded an LCM ship in our harbor and cut up four men before overcome. Think maybe they were trying to get to their radio transmitter to call the planes in this harbor!
Tuesday, April 3d (next morning), Admiral Spruance conducted a Purple Heart ceremony for 15 men on the quarter-deck and 7 men in sick bay- 5 men had left our ship to go to hospital ships the day we were hit. One of them, an aviation radio man, was up in a plane on the catapult working on its radio when we got hit. The plane fell off its perch and this kid fell on his head. I had helped him the day before and was going to help him some more that morning, but since up all night on G.Q. I put it off for a little shut-eye till later in the morning. Fate? I guess so! Heard that the flag was leaving the ship and the ship to go back for repairs. Back to where, we didn’t know yet, Guam, P.H. or States. That night I was on watch and most of R.T.’s sitting around the radio shack when an announcement at about 2020 came over the system for all hands to dog down all hatches, and turn on all lights below decks and set a watch on all compartments, as there was a possibility of Jap being aboard. A Marine guard had been found at his outside guard post with his throat slit-he didn’t did, however! Well, we about passed out be weren’t worried about the Jab himself getting to us-too many guys on gun watches outside our shack and I put on .45 pistol- but we worried about what the bastard might do-such as put a charge of dynamite in an ammunition ”ready box” or something like that-so we stayed up all night and next morning but no Jap was found, he either got scared off or was never on and the Marine cut up by a personal enemy in the crew! This day-in the afternoon I was told I was to be transferred into the Flag Allowance and to move the next day (Thursday, April 5th) to the U.S.S. “New Mexico.”
We moved early next morning. While transferring our gear to an LCI, I barely got my foot caught between a railing and the wooden plank we had across the two ships, when the LCI rolled a little; I jerked it out quickly and wasn’t hurt! Two minutes later a kid of the crew of the LCI did the same thing only he didn’t get his out and got a crushed foot out of it. Fate! I guess so.
Well, while transferring to the “New Mexico” it started to rain a bit so we had a nice job moving all our stuff aboard. We worked like mad all day hooking up our receivers, but that night was the first really big air raid over Okinawa. The C.A.P. shot down over 100 enemy planes, a few got in to our part of the fleet just off shore of our landing place off Okinawa. The “New Mexico” shot one down. The next day Task Force 58 met a Jap force north of us and sank one of their battleships (latest class), cruisers and destroyers that were on the Tokyo strikes and patrolled up and down north of Okinawa all the while protecting us. The next few days were spent working till late at night installing our equipment and some new stuff, with air alerts each night.
Roosevelt died, Ernie Pyle killed-but so were thousands of plain G.I.’s all around us! NO mail received from March 26th till April 17th. All these days we were bombarding with our 14-inch guns most of the day each day and sometimes all night-then take a day off and go around to Kerra Merrato harbor for supplies and ammunition.
April 22d Admiral Nimitz came aboard to confer with Spruance, spent night aboard and we had a good air raid that night to show him. April 26th Admiral Halsey was aboard. Flew in from Guam. April 27th a liberty ship sank about a mile from us from a suicide plane. And two tin cans sunk out on patrol by the same. April 28th we were at G.Q.’s for five and one-half hours. C.A.P. shot down 88 planes but one of our hospital ships (U.S.S. “Comfort”) was hit by a suicide plane-forty killed. Two cans hit but not sunk! The next few days or rather nights were interrupted by air raids-all track of time was lost-although I did record the times of G.Q.’s May 1st. We were bombarding in daytime, at 1330 we went into G.Q. and got underway quick as a Jap shore battery started firing at us. We retired and some of our dive bombers saw the flashes and went in and got ‘em-quick!
…On May 12th a few enemy planes got through Task Force 58 and two came in at us—one port, one starboard; the starboard one was shot down but not before he strafed the quarter deck and hit some of the gunners back there. But the port one came right on in midship, mowed off the “Jap-Trap” (a tub containing 4-20 mm. machine guns) and went on in to the smokestack and then down. He, too, strafed all the way in—several men were lost due to this—which is unusual for suicide pilots to do.
Well, m G.Q. station on the “New Mex” was in the radio transmitter room—three decks down and center of ship—two-thirds way back. So we hardly felt the crash. But, of course, fires were started and some ammunition boxes went off. But we couldn’t leave our posts to go see. I did go to the “head” about one hour later—and to go there had to go through one of mess halls and they had the injured on stretchers all over the place. It was terrible, most of these burned badly, some with shrapnel in them, some with limbs missing. One of the Flag R.T.’s was up on the bridge and just started down—came down to decks and just started outside—and got blown back in, receiving a flash burn on face and one piece of shrapnel in his leg just above the knee. An LCM came alongside and took some of the most serious casualties to the hospital ship. At 0030 next morning we had another raid lasting till 0110 A.M. and another from 0250 to 0432. At 1030 next morning—Mother’s Day—we had burial services for 52 men. Later we knew that some men taken from the ship had died en route to or later on the hospital ship—making the total killed 67. All day, Mother’s Day, salvage crews started cleaning up the mess and it was a mess but the ship had no holes in the bottom so no danger of sinking. All but one of our antennas were either down or their trunks flooded. The Flag radio intelligence shack was a wreck—we lost a radioman chief in there, shrapnel went through his radio and then into his heart. Another shack up higher, where we had two small transmitters, was riddled beyond repair. A salvage repair ship came alongside and started repairs. The rubble that went down the stack got into two of our boilers, damaging them badly. Two days later men had arrived by air from Pearl Harbor to repair the boilers-specialists on that type of work. The stack was patched with huge sheets of steel welded in place. A canvas hood put over it and the welders worked at night-but had to quit several times each night for more air raids.
We did receive mail the afternoon of Mother’s Day which helped our morale until one stopped and thought of how many of those letters were not delivered-but marked, deceased. Next two weeks was same old stuff with that one break of May 21st when I went ashore on Okinawa. May 24th the usual air raid but heard it was to be a big one-started 1830 the 24th to 1405 next morning and again after breakfast 0800 to 1150. And during that period 111 Japs were shot down. May 27th Halsey’s flagship came within spitting distance and next morning at 0530 we were underway for Guam, even though we had a raid starting at 0510-lasting till 0900. Later heard a tin can sitting 100 yards aft of where we were anchored got sunk! Fate? I guess so! May 31st-we moored at Guam. Next morning the Flag left the “New Mex” to set up headquarters ashore at Guam.
The rest you know. . . .
A special thank you to Susan for adding Robert's photo
**Feel free to browse my virtual cemetery for the Indianapolis.
(only child of Robert and Mary)
Robert perished in the sinking of the USS Indianapolis on July 30, 1945 when it was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine off the coast of the Phillipines. Of the 1,196 aboard, about 900 made it into the water in the twelve minutes before she sank. Few life rafts were released. Most survivors wore the standard kapok life jacket. Due to her top secret mission, she was not reported missing. Shark attacks began with sunrise of the first day, and continued for five days until the men were finally spotted in the water and rescued. Only 316 men survived. This sailor was one of those who perished at sea. It was only fitting to find out who his family was and add it to his listing. God Bless him for his service and his family for their loss..
Robert C. Barker, Jr,. of Lebanon, enlisted in the navy May 4, 1942, and received the rating of radio technician 2/c. he served in the Aleutians for 17 months and served his first sea duty en route home from Adak, Aleutians, abroad the U.S.S. “Kimberly.” He was then assigned to the U.S.S. “Indianapolis”, flagship of 5th feet on November 30, 1944. This ship is participated in 2 air strikes on Tokyo and the preparation for the landings of troops on Okinawa. When the “Indianapolis” was first hit by Jap suicide planes, Barker was transferred to the U.S.S. “New Mexico” which was also hit by suicide planes. Being assigned again to the “Indianapolis” Radio Tech 1/c Barker lost his life when the ship was torpedoed July 30, 1945. He received the Purple Heart and victory medal posthumously.
A letter sent home:
Dear Mother And Dad:
… Left Ulithi March 14th and we didn’t know to where. Well, March 18th we were near South Japan. Had an air alert earlier this morning. We shot down 3 Japs- midmorning a carrier got a hit very near. March 19th earl A.M saw “Franklin receive several hits-about two miles from us. So many explosions and smoke we though her gone-a few destroyers and a carrier stayed with her and we went on. Planes from our carrier attacked Kyushu early next morning, March 19th. Next few days we were up and down this one area had arrived in sight of Kerama Retto-off Okinawa 24th of March. Next few days we bombarded by day and patrolled by nights till March 31st. We were approaching shore again for bombardment, we had another air raid-we had had the regular dawn F.Q. alert and had secured supposedly with no enemy planes near, for break G.Q. alert and had secured supposedly with no enemy planes near, for breakfast, I hit my sack. A few minutes later the air alert was sounded (I have no A.A station but thought to myself maybe I’d better et up and see what was cooking), but before thought to myself maybe I’d better get up and see what was cooking), but before I could really make up my mind our 20mm. guns opened up-then I knew a plane must really be close, but before I could move we were hit. The ship mattresses and stuff. I was scared, of course, but determined to be calm, so calmly dug myself out-found my glasses hanging on my bunk unharmed, calmly dug myself out-found my glasses hanging on my bunk unharmed, moved a few bunks and found my shoes. There were maybe six of us in my compartment and all ran up the ladder and out immediately but me and one other guy. This other guy had been in an upper bunk and he bumped his head on the ceiling and knocked himself out-I didn’t even know he was up there! I tried to be so calm that I realized how silly I was. I went over to my locker on the other side of the compartment from my bunk and got clean clothes, put them on-got out my toothbrush and put paste on it and then went topside to the “head” and washed my teeth. Then up to the radio shack where I looked myself over and found a nice cut on my left leg just above my knee, my elbow skinned up and 3 cuts on the button of my toes. I went to the first aid kit and painted theme with iodine. I knew that the sick bay must be pretty busy. And it was, I later learned. Well, I want down then to look over the damage-even then we were under way as fast as we could go. Well, the plane had come in on the starboard quarter, went barely over and then smack down through the port quarter. Parts of the plane went through the main deck into one corner of the mess hall-some of it and the bomb on though the mess hall deck into a sleeping compartment and the bomb on through that, through the evaporator room (evaporator room pups in salt water and makes fresh water) on through the hull of the ship and then exploded underneath the ship in the water buckled the hole it had made upwards, knocking off two of our four screws (propellers) and the supporting yoke of one the shafts. As soon as all the men that could go out of the living compartment it was dogged down and shut off to prevent flooding of the ship. Later learned that 8 men were trapped in that compartment-either instantly killed but the debris falling in there or drowned while unconscious in the oil that filled it. Oil tanks bursts and flooded it and oil being heavier held the water out. For lunch this day we had Spam sandwiches and for supper-the same thing-no fresh water! Next day-Easer-breakfast-bacon and eggs-Easter services-I attended as did almost all others except those actually working in services-I attended as did almost all others except those actually working in the salvage crews. A salvage boat came alongside and divers welded a patch on the ship’s bottom and we started pumping out the flooded compartments. Six the ship’s bottom and we started pumping out the flooded compartments. Six of the trapped men were pulled out and we had burial services for them. They of the trapped men were pulled out and had burial services for them. They were taken by boat to land and buried. For lunch we had cold meats and Spam, salad and fruit juice. Still no fresh water for washing and rationed drinking water. Drinking fountains turned on for 15 minutes at the change of watches—1200-1600-2000-2400, etc. For supper we had ham sandwiches and ice cream. That night 0030 (thirty minutes past midnight) we had an air raid alert lasting till 0630. Fired at enemy planes at 0330. There we sat unable to move-being repaired-but several fighting ships in same harbor. Breakfast this Monday morning- Spam, gravy and baking powder biscuits. Two more of the missing men found and burial services for them in afternoon. That night-another air raid alert from 0310 to 0800. During the night we heard some Jap commandos boarded an LCM ship in our harbor and cut up four men before overcome. Think maybe they were trying to get to their radio transmitter to call the planes in this harbor!
Tuesday, April 3d (next morning), Admiral Spruance conducted a Purple Heart ceremony for 15 men on the quarter-deck and 7 men in sick bay- 5 men had left our ship to go to hospital ships the day we were hit. One of them, an aviation radio man, was up in a plane on the catapult working on its radio when we got hit. The plane fell off its perch and this kid fell on his head. I had helped him the day before and was going to help him some more that morning, but since up all night on G.Q. I put it off for a little shut-eye till later in the morning. Fate? I guess so! Heard that the flag was leaving the ship and the ship to go back for repairs. Back to where, we didn’t know yet, Guam, P.H. or States. That night I was on watch and most of R.T.’s sitting around the radio shack when an announcement at about 2020 came over the system for all hands to dog down all hatches, and turn on all lights below decks and set a watch on all compartments, as there was a possibility of Jap being aboard. A Marine guard had been found at his outside guard post with his throat slit-he didn’t did, however! Well, we about passed out be weren’t worried about the Jab himself getting to us-too many guys on gun watches outside our shack and I put on .45 pistol- but we worried about what the bastard might do-such as put a charge of dynamite in an ammunition ”ready box” or something like that-so we stayed up all night and next morning but no Jap was found, he either got scared off or was never on and the Marine cut up by a personal enemy in the crew! This day-in the afternoon I was told I was to be transferred into the Flag Allowance and to move the next day (Thursday, April 5th) to the U.S.S. “New Mexico.”
We moved early next morning. While transferring our gear to an LCI, I barely got my foot caught between a railing and the wooden plank we had across the two ships, when the LCI rolled a little; I jerked it out quickly and wasn’t hurt! Two minutes later a kid of the crew of the LCI did the same thing only he didn’t get his out and got a crushed foot out of it. Fate! I guess so.
Well, while transferring to the “New Mexico” it started to rain a bit so we had a nice job moving all our stuff aboard. We worked like mad all day hooking up our receivers, but that night was the first really big air raid over Okinawa. The C.A.P. shot down over 100 enemy planes, a few got in to our part of the fleet just off shore of our landing place off Okinawa. The “New Mexico” shot one down. The next day Task Force 58 met a Jap force north of us and sank one of their battleships (latest class), cruisers and destroyers that were on the Tokyo strikes and patrolled up and down north of Okinawa all the while protecting us. The next few days were spent working till late at night installing our equipment and some new stuff, with air alerts each night.
Roosevelt died, Ernie Pyle killed-but so were thousands of plain G.I.’s all around us! NO mail received from March 26th till April 17th. All these days we were bombarding with our 14-inch guns most of the day each day and sometimes all night-then take a day off and go around to Kerra Merrato harbor for supplies and ammunition.
April 22d Admiral Nimitz came aboard to confer with Spruance, spent night aboard and we had a good air raid that night to show him. April 26th Admiral Halsey was aboard. Flew in from Guam. April 27th a liberty ship sank about a mile from us from a suicide plane. And two tin cans sunk out on patrol by the same. April 28th we were at G.Q.’s for five and one-half hours. C.A.P. shot down 88 planes but one of our hospital ships (U.S.S. “Comfort”) was hit by a suicide plane-forty killed. Two cans hit but not sunk! The next few days or rather nights were interrupted by air raids-all track of time was lost-although I did record the times of G.Q.’s May 1st. We were bombarding in daytime, at 1330 we went into G.Q. and got underway quick as a Jap shore battery started firing at us. We retired and some of our dive bombers saw the flashes and went in and got ‘em-quick!
…On May 12th a few enemy planes got through Task Force 58 and two came in at us—one port, one starboard; the starboard one was shot down but not before he strafed the quarter deck and hit some of the gunners back there. But the port one came right on in midship, mowed off the “Jap-Trap” (a tub containing 4-20 mm. machine guns) and went on in to the smokestack and then down. He, too, strafed all the way in—several men were lost due to this—which is unusual for suicide pilots to do.
Well, m G.Q. station on the “New Mex” was in the radio transmitter room—three decks down and center of ship—two-thirds way back. So we hardly felt the crash. But, of course, fires were started and some ammunition boxes went off. But we couldn’t leave our posts to go see. I did go to the “head” about one hour later—and to go there had to go through one of mess halls and they had the injured on stretchers all over the place. It was terrible, most of these burned badly, some with shrapnel in them, some with limbs missing. One of the Flag R.T.’s was up on the bridge and just started down—came down to decks and just started outside—and got blown back in, receiving a flash burn on face and one piece of shrapnel in his leg just above the knee. An LCM came alongside and took some of the most serious casualties to the hospital ship. At 0030 next morning we had another raid lasting till 0110 A.M. and another from 0250 to 0432. At 1030 next morning—Mother’s Day—we had burial services for 52 men. Later we knew that some men taken from the ship had died en route to or later on the hospital ship—making the total killed 67. All day, Mother’s Day, salvage crews started cleaning up the mess and it was a mess but the ship had no holes in the bottom so no danger of sinking. All but one of our antennas were either down or their trunks flooded. The Flag radio intelligence shack was a wreck—we lost a radioman chief in there, shrapnel went through his radio and then into his heart. Another shack up higher, where we had two small transmitters, was riddled beyond repair. A salvage repair ship came alongside and started repairs. The rubble that went down the stack got into two of our boilers, damaging them badly. Two days later men had arrived by air from Pearl Harbor to repair the boilers-specialists on that type of work. The stack was patched with huge sheets of steel welded in place. A canvas hood put over it and the welders worked at night-but had to quit several times each night for more air raids.
We did receive mail the afternoon of Mother’s Day which helped our morale until one stopped and thought of how many of those letters were not delivered-but marked, deceased. Next two weeks was same old stuff with that one break of May 21st when I went ashore on Okinawa. May 24th the usual air raid but heard it was to be a big one-started 1830 the 24th to 1405 next morning and again after breakfast 0800 to 1150. And during that period 111 Japs were shot down. May 27th Halsey’s flagship came within spitting distance and next morning at 0530 we were underway for Guam, even though we had a raid starting at 0510-lasting till 0900. Later heard a tin can sitting 100 yards aft of where we were anchored got sunk! Fate? I guess so! May 31st-we moored at Guam. Next morning the Flag left the “New Mex” to set up headquarters ashore at Guam.
The rest you know. . . .
A special thank you to Susan for adding Robert's photo
**Feel free to browse my virtual cemetery for the Indianapolis.
Son of Robert C Barker Sr and Mary I. Barker
(only child of Robert and Mary)
Robert perished in the sinking of the USS Indianapolis on July 30, 1945 when it was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine off the coast of the Phillipines. Of the 1,196 aboard, about 900 made it into the water in the twelve minutes before she sank. Few life rafts were released. Most survivors wore the standard kapok life jacket. Due to her top secret mission, she was not reported missing. Shark attacks began with sunrise of the first day, and continued for five days until the men were finally spotted in the water and rescued. Only 316 men survived. This sailor was one of those who perished at sea. It was only fitting to find out who his family was and add it to his listing. God Bless him for his service and his family for their loss..
Robert C. Barker, Jr,. of Lebanon, enlisted in the navy May 4, 1942, and received the rating of radio technician 2/c. he served in the Aleutians for 17 months and served his first sea duty en route home from Adak, Aleutians, abroad the U.S.S. “Kimberly.” He was then assigned to the U.S.S. “Indianapolis”, flagship of 5th feet on November 30, 1944. This ship is participated in 2 air strikes on Tokyo and the preparation for the landings of troops on Okinawa. When the “Indianapolis” was first hit by Jap suicide planes, Barker was transferred to the U.S.S. “New Mexico” which was also hit by suicide planes. Being assigned again to the “Indianapolis” Radio Tech 1/c Barker lost his life when the ship was torpedoed July 30, 1945. He received the Purple Heart and victory medal posthumously.
A letter sent home:
Dear Mother And Dad:
… Left Ulithi March 14th and we didn’t know to where. Well, March 18th we were near South Japan. Had an air alert earlier this morning. We shot down 3 Japs- midmorning a carrier got a hit very near. March 19th earl A.M saw “Franklin receive several hits-about two miles from us. So many explosions and smoke we though her gone-a few destroyers and a carrier stayed with her and we went on. Planes from our carrier attacked Kyushu early next morning, March 19th. Next few days we were up and down this one area had arrived in sight of Kerama Retto-off Okinawa 24th of March. Next few days we bombarded by day and patrolled by nights till March 31st. We were approaching shore again for bombardment, we had another air raid-we had had the regular dawn F.Q. alert and had secured supposedly with no enemy planes near, for break G.Q. alert and had secured supposedly with no enemy planes near, for breakfast, I hit my sack. A few minutes later the air alert was sounded (I have no A.A station but thought to myself maybe I’d better et up and see what was cooking), but before thought to myself maybe I’d better get up and see what was cooking), but before I could really make up my mind our 20mm. guns opened up-then I knew a plane must really be close, but before I could move we were hit. The ship mattresses and stuff. I was scared, of course, but determined to be calm, so calmly dug myself out-found my glasses hanging on my bunk unharmed, calmly dug myself out-found my glasses hanging on my bunk unharmed, moved a few bunks and found my shoes. There were maybe six of us in my compartment and all ran up the ladder and out immediately but me and one other guy. This other guy had been in an upper bunk and he bumped his head on the ceiling and knocked himself out-I didn’t even know he was up there! I tried to be so calm that I realized how silly I was. I went over to my locker on the other side of the compartment from my bunk and got clean clothes, put them on-got out my toothbrush and put paste on it and then went topside to the “head” and washed my teeth. Then up to the radio shack where I looked myself over and found a nice cut on my left leg just above my knee, my elbow skinned up and 3 cuts on the button of my toes. I went to the first aid kit and painted theme with iodine. I knew that the sick bay must be pretty busy. And it was, I later learned. Well, I want down then to look over the damage-even then we were under way as fast as we could go. Well, the plane had come in on the starboard quarter, went barely over and then smack down through the port quarter. Parts of the plane went through the main deck into one corner of the mess hall-some of it and the bomb on though the mess hall deck into a sleeping compartment and the bomb on through that, through the evaporator room (evaporator room pups in salt water and makes fresh water) on through the hull of the ship and then exploded underneath the ship in the water buckled the hole it had made upwards, knocking off two of our four screws (propellers) and the supporting yoke of one the shafts. As soon as all the men that could go out of the living compartment it was dogged down and shut off to prevent flooding of the ship. Later learned that 8 men were trapped in that compartment-either instantly killed but the debris falling in there or drowned while unconscious in the oil that filled it. Oil tanks bursts and flooded it and oil being heavier held the water out. For lunch this day we had Spam sandwiches and for supper-the same thing-no fresh water! Next day-Easer-breakfast-bacon and eggs-Easter services-I attended as did almost all others except those actually working in services-I attended as did almost all others except those actually working in the salvage crews. A salvage boat came alongside and divers welded a patch on the ship’s bottom and we started pumping out the flooded compartments. Six the ship’s bottom and we started pumping out the flooded compartments. Six of the trapped men were pulled out and we had burial services for them. They of the trapped men were pulled out and had burial services for them. They were taken by boat to land and buried. For lunch we had cold meats and Spam, salad and fruit juice. Still no fresh water for washing and rationed drinking water. Drinking fountains turned on for 15 minutes at the change of watches—1200-1600-2000-2400, etc. For supper we had ham sandwiches and ice cream. That night 0030 (thirty minutes past midnight) we had an air raid alert lasting till 0630. Fired at enemy planes at 0330. There we sat unable to move-being repaired-but several fighting ships in same harbor. Breakfast this Monday morning- Spam, gravy and baking powder biscuits. Two more of the missing men found and burial services for them in afternoon. That night-another air raid alert from 0310 to 0800. During the night we heard some Jap commandos boarded an LCM ship in our harbor and cut up four men before overcome. Think maybe they were trying to get to their radio transmitter to call the planes in this harbor!
Tuesday, April 3d (next morning), Admiral Spruance conducted a Purple Heart ceremony for 15 men on the quarter-deck and 7 men in sick bay- 5 men had left our ship to go to hospital ships the day we were hit. One of them, an aviation radio man, was up in a plane on the catapult working on its radio when we got hit. The plane fell off its perch and this kid fell on his head. I had helped him the day before and was going to help him some more that morning, but since up all night on G.Q. I put it off for a little shut-eye till later in the morning. Fate? I guess so! Heard that the flag was leaving the ship and the ship to go back for repairs. Back to where, we didn’t know yet, Guam, P.H. or States. That night I was on watch and most of R.T.’s sitting around the radio shack when an announcement at about 2020 came over the system for all hands to dog down all hatches, and turn on all lights below decks and set a watch on all compartments, as there was a possibility of Jap being aboard. A Marine guard had been found at his outside guard post with his throat slit-he didn’t did, however! Well, we about passed out be weren’t worried about the Jab himself getting to us-too many guys on gun watches outside our shack and I put on .45 pistol- but we worried about what the bastard might do-such as put a charge of dynamite in an ammunition ”ready box” or something like that-so we stayed up all night and next morning but no Jap was found, he either got scared off or was never on and the Marine cut up by a personal enemy in the crew! This day-in the afternoon I was told I was to be transferred into the Flag Allowance and to move the next day (Thursday, April 5th) to the U.S.S. “New Mexico.”
We moved early next morning. While transferring our gear to an LCI, I barely got my foot caught between a railing and the wooden plank we had across the two ships, when the LCI rolled a little; I jerked it out quickly and wasn’t hurt! Two minutes later a kid of the crew of the LCI did the same thing only he didn’t get his out and got a crushed foot out of it. Fate! I guess so.
Well, while transferring to the “New Mexico” it started to rain a bit so we had a nice job moving all our stuff aboard. We worked like mad all day hooking up our receivers, but that night was the first really big air raid over Okinawa. The C.A.P. shot down over 100 enemy planes, a few got in to our part of the fleet just off shore of our landing place off Okinawa. The “New Mexico” shot one down. The next day Task Force 58 met a Jap force north of us and sank one of their battleships (latest class), cruisers and destroyers that were on the Tokyo strikes and patrolled up and down north of Okinawa all the while protecting us. The next few days were spent working till late at night installing our equipment and some new stuff, with air alerts each night.
Roosevelt died, Ernie Pyle killed-but so were thousands of plain G.I.’s all around us! NO mail received from March 26th till April 17th. All these days we were bombarding with our 14-inch guns most of the day each day and sometimes all night-then take a day off and go around to Kerra Merrato harbor for supplies and ammunition.
April 22d Admiral Nimitz came aboard to confer with Spruance, spent night aboard and we had a good air raid that night to show him. April 26th Admiral Halsey was aboard. Flew in from Guam. April 27th a liberty ship sank about a mile from us from a suicide plane. And two tin cans sunk out on patrol by the same. April 28th we were at G.Q.’s for five and one-half hours. C.A.P. shot down 88 planes but one of our hospital ships (U.S.S. “Comfort”) was hit by a suicide plane-forty killed. Two cans hit but not sunk! The next few days or rather nights were interrupted by air raids-all track of time was lost-although I did record the times of G.Q.’s May 1st. We were bombarding in daytime, at 1330 we went into G.Q. and got underway quick as a Jap shore battery started firing at us. We retired and some of our dive bombers saw the flashes and went in and got ‘em-quick!
…On May 12th a few enemy planes got through Task Force 58 and two came in at us—one port, one starboard; the starboard one was shot down but not before he strafed the quarter deck and hit some of the gunners back there. But the port one came right on in midship, mowed off the “Jap-Trap” (a tub containing 4-20 mm. machine guns) and went on in to the smokestack and then down. He, too, strafed all the way in—several men were lost due to this—which is unusual for suicide pilots to do.
Well, m G.Q. station on the “New Mex” was in the radio transmitter room—three decks down and center of ship—two-thirds way back. So we hardly felt the crash. But, of course, fires were started and some ammunition boxes went off. But we couldn’t leave our posts to go see. I did go to the “head” about one hour later—and to go there had to go through one of mess halls and they had the injured on stretchers all over the place. It was terrible, most of these burned badly, some with shrapnel in them, some with limbs missing. One of the Flag R.T.’s was up on the bridge and just started down—came down to decks and just started outside—and got blown back in, receiving a flash burn on face and one piece of shrapnel in his leg just above the knee. An LCM came alongside and took some of the most serious casualties to the hospital ship. At 0030 next morning we had another raid lasting till 0110 A.M. and another from 0250 to 0432. At 1030 next morning—Mother’s Day—we had burial services for 52 men. Later we knew that some men taken from the ship had died en route to or later on the hospital ship—making the total killed 67. All day, Mother’s Day, salvage crews started cleaning up the mess and it was a mess but the ship had no holes in the bottom so no danger of sinking. All but one of our antennas were either down or their trunks flooded. The Flag radio intelligence shack was a wreck—we lost a radioman chief in there, shrapnel went through his radio and then into his heart. Another shack up higher, where we had two small transmitters, was riddled beyond repair. A salvage repair ship came alongside and started repairs. The rubble that went down the stack got into two of our boilers, damaging them badly. Two days later men had arrived by air from Pearl Harbor to repair the boilers-specialists on that type of work. The stack was patched with huge sheets of steel welded in place. A canvas hood put over it and the welders worked at night-but had to quit several times each night for more air raids.
We did receive mail the afternoon of Mother’s Day which helped our morale until one stopped and thought of how many of those letters were not delivered-but marked, deceased. Next two weeks was same old stuff with that one break of May 21st when I went ashore on Okinawa. May 24th the usual air raid but heard it was to be a big one-started 1830 the 24th to 1405 next morning and again after breakfast 0800 to 1150. And during that period 111 Japs were shot down. May 27th Halsey’s flagship came within spitting distance and next morning at 0530 we were underway for Guam, even though we had a raid starting at 0510-lasting till 0900. Later heard a tin can sitting 100 yards aft of where we were anchored got sunk! Fate? I guess so! May 31st-we moored at Guam. Next morning the Flag left the “New Mex” to set up headquarters ashore at Guam.
The rest you know. . . .
A special thank you to Susan for adding Robert's photo
**Feel free to browse my virtual cemetery for the Indianapolis.
(only child of Robert and Mary)
Robert perished in the sinking of the USS Indianapolis on July 30, 1945 when it was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine off the coast of the Phillipines. Of the 1,196 aboard, about 900 made it into the water in the twelve minutes before she sank. Few life rafts were released. Most survivors wore the standard kapok life jacket. Due to her top secret mission, she was not reported missing. Shark attacks began with sunrise of the first day, and continued for five days until the men were finally spotted in the water and rescued. Only 316 men survived. This sailor was one of those who perished at sea. It was only fitting to find out who his family was and add it to his listing. God Bless him for his service and his family for their loss..
Robert C. Barker, Jr,. of Lebanon, enlisted in the navy May 4, 1942, and received the rating of radio technician 2/c. he served in the Aleutians for 17 months and served his first sea duty en route home from Adak, Aleutians, abroad the U.S.S. “Kimberly.” He was then assigned to the U.S.S. “Indianapolis”, flagship of 5th feet on November 30, 1944. This ship is participated in 2 air strikes on Tokyo and the preparation for the landings of troops on Okinawa. When the “Indianapolis” was first hit by Jap suicide planes, Barker was transferred to the U.S.S. “New Mexico” which was also hit by suicide planes. Being assigned again to the “Indianapolis” Radio Tech 1/c Barker lost his life when the ship was torpedoed July 30, 1945. He received the Purple Heart and victory medal posthumously.
A letter sent home:
Dear Mother And Dad:
… Left Ulithi March 14th and we didn’t know to where. Well, March 18th we were near South Japan. Had an air alert earlier this morning. We shot down 3 Japs- midmorning a carrier got a hit very near. March 19th earl A.M saw “Franklin receive several hits-about two miles from us. So many explosions and smoke we though her gone-a few destroyers and a carrier stayed with her and we went on. Planes from our carrier attacked Kyushu early next morning, March 19th. Next few days we were up and down this one area had arrived in sight of Kerama Retto-off Okinawa 24th of March. Next few days we bombarded by day and patrolled by nights till March 31st. We were approaching shore again for bombardment, we had another air raid-we had had the regular dawn F.Q. alert and had secured supposedly with no enemy planes near, for break G.Q. alert and had secured supposedly with no enemy planes near, for breakfast, I hit my sack. A few minutes later the air alert was sounded (I have no A.A station but thought to myself maybe I’d better et up and see what was cooking), but before thought to myself maybe I’d better get up and see what was cooking), but before I could really make up my mind our 20mm. guns opened up-then I knew a plane must really be close, but before I could move we were hit. The ship mattresses and stuff. I was scared, of course, but determined to be calm, so calmly dug myself out-found my glasses hanging on my bunk unharmed, calmly dug myself out-found my glasses hanging on my bunk unharmed, moved a few bunks and found my shoes. There were maybe six of us in my compartment and all ran up the ladder and out immediately but me and one other guy. This other guy had been in an upper bunk and he bumped his head on the ceiling and knocked himself out-I didn’t even know he was up there! I tried to be so calm that I realized how silly I was. I went over to my locker on the other side of the compartment from my bunk and got clean clothes, put them on-got out my toothbrush and put paste on it and then went topside to the “head” and washed my teeth. Then up to the radio shack where I looked myself over and found a nice cut on my left leg just above my knee, my elbow skinned up and 3 cuts on the button of my toes. I went to the first aid kit and painted theme with iodine. I knew that the sick bay must be pretty busy. And it was, I later learned. Well, I want down then to look over the damage-even then we were under way as fast as we could go. Well, the plane had come in on the starboard quarter, went barely over and then smack down through the port quarter. Parts of the plane went through the main deck into one corner of the mess hall-some of it and the bomb on though the mess hall deck into a sleeping compartment and the bomb on through that, through the evaporator room (evaporator room pups in salt water and makes fresh water) on through the hull of the ship and then exploded underneath the ship in the water buckled the hole it had made upwards, knocking off two of our four screws (propellers) and the supporting yoke of one the shafts. As soon as all the men that could go out of the living compartment it was dogged down and shut off to prevent flooding of the ship. Later learned that 8 men were trapped in that compartment-either instantly killed but the debris falling in there or drowned while unconscious in the oil that filled it. Oil tanks bursts and flooded it and oil being heavier held the water out. For lunch this day we had Spam sandwiches and for supper-the same thing-no fresh water! Next day-Easer-breakfast-bacon and eggs-Easter services-I attended as did almost all others except those actually working in services-I attended as did almost all others except those actually working in the salvage crews. A salvage boat came alongside and divers welded a patch on the ship’s bottom and we started pumping out the flooded compartments. Six the ship’s bottom and we started pumping out the flooded compartments. Six of the trapped men were pulled out and we had burial services for them. They of the trapped men were pulled out and had burial services for them. They were taken by boat to land and buried. For lunch we had cold meats and Spam, salad and fruit juice. Still no fresh water for washing and rationed drinking water. Drinking fountains turned on for 15 minutes at the change of watches—1200-1600-2000-2400, etc. For supper we had ham sandwiches and ice cream. That night 0030 (thirty minutes past midnight) we had an air raid alert lasting till 0630. Fired at enemy planes at 0330. There we sat unable to move-being repaired-but several fighting ships in same harbor. Breakfast this Monday morning- Spam, gravy and baking powder biscuits. Two more of the missing men found and burial services for them in afternoon. That night-another air raid alert from 0310 to 0800. During the night we heard some Jap commandos boarded an LCM ship in our harbor and cut up four men before overcome. Think maybe they were trying to get to their radio transmitter to call the planes in this harbor!
Tuesday, April 3d (next morning), Admiral Spruance conducted a Purple Heart ceremony for 15 men on the quarter-deck and 7 men in sick bay- 5 men had left our ship to go to hospital ships the day we were hit. One of them, an aviation radio man, was up in a plane on the catapult working on its radio when we got hit. The plane fell off its perch and this kid fell on his head. I had helped him the day before and was going to help him some more that morning, but since up all night on G.Q. I put it off for a little shut-eye till later in the morning. Fate? I guess so! Heard that the flag was leaving the ship and the ship to go back for repairs. Back to where, we didn’t know yet, Guam, P.H. or States. That night I was on watch and most of R.T.’s sitting around the radio shack when an announcement at about 2020 came over the system for all hands to dog down all hatches, and turn on all lights below decks and set a watch on all compartments, as there was a possibility of Jap being aboard. A Marine guard had been found at his outside guard post with his throat slit-he didn’t did, however! Well, we about passed out be weren’t worried about the Jab himself getting to us-too many guys on gun watches outside our shack and I put on .45 pistol- but we worried about what the bastard might do-such as put a charge of dynamite in an ammunition ”ready box” or something like that-so we stayed up all night and next morning but no Jap was found, he either got scared off or was never on and the Marine cut up by a personal enemy in the crew! This day-in the afternoon I was told I was to be transferred into the Flag Allowance and to move the next day (Thursday, April 5th) to the U.S.S. “New Mexico.”
We moved early next morning. While transferring our gear to an LCI, I barely got my foot caught between a railing and the wooden plank we had across the two ships, when the LCI rolled a little; I jerked it out quickly and wasn’t hurt! Two minutes later a kid of the crew of the LCI did the same thing only he didn’t get his out and got a crushed foot out of it. Fate! I guess so.
Well, while transferring to the “New Mexico” it started to rain a bit so we had a nice job moving all our stuff aboard. We worked like mad all day hooking up our receivers, but that night was the first really big air raid over Okinawa. The C.A.P. shot down over 100 enemy planes, a few got in to our part of the fleet just off shore of our landing place off Okinawa. The “New Mexico” shot one down. The next day Task Force 58 met a Jap force north of us and sank one of their battleships (latest class), cruisers and destroyers that were on the Tokyo strikes and patrolled up and down north of Okinawa all the while protecting us. The next few days were spent working till late at night installing our equipment and some new stuff, with air alerts each night.
Roosevelt died, Ernie Pyle killed-but so were thousands of plain G.I.’s all around us! NO mail received from March 26th till April 17th. All these days we were bombarding with our 14-inch guns most of the day each day and sometimes all night-then take a day off and go around to Kerra Merrato harbor for supplies and ammunition.
April 22d Admiral Nimitz came aboard to confer with Spruance, spent night aboard and we had a good air raid that night to show him. April 26th Admiral Halsey was aboard. Flew in from Guam. April 27th a liberty ship sank about a mile from us from a suicide plane. And two tin cans sunk out on patrol by the same. April 28th we were at G.Q.’s for five and one-half hours. C.A.P. shot down 88 planes but one of our hospital ships (U.S.S. “Comfort”) was hit by a suicide plane-forty killed. Two cans hit but not sunk! The next few days or rather nights were interrupted by air raids-all track of time was lost-although I did record the times of G.Q.’s May 1st. We were bombarding in daytime, at 1330 we went into G.Q. and got underway quick as a Jap shore battery started firing at us. We retired and some of our dive bombers saw the flashes and went in and got ‘em-quick!
…On May 12th a few enemy planes got through Task Force 58 and two came in at us—one port, one starboard; the starboard one was shot down but not before he strafed the quarter deck and hit some of the gunners back there. But the port one came right on in midship, mowed off the “Jap-Trap” (a tub containing 4-20 mm. machine guns) and went on in to the smokestack and then down. He, too, strafed all the way in—several men were lost due to this—which is unusual for suicide pilots to do.
Well, m G.Q. station on the “New Mex” was in the radio transmitter room—three decks down and center of ship—two-thirds way back. So we hardly felt the crash. But, of course, fires were started and some ammunition boxes went off. But we couldn’t leave our posts to go see. I did go to the “head” about one hour later—and to go there had to go through one of mess halls and they had the injured on stretchers all over the place. It was terrible, most of these burned badly, some with shrapnel in them, some with limbs missing. One of the Flag R.T.’s was up on the bridge and just started down—came down to decks and just started outside—and got blown back in, receiving a flash burn on face and one piece of shrapnel in his leg just above the knee. An LCM came alongside and took some of the most serious casualties to the hospital ship. At 0030 next morning we had another raid lasting till 0110 A.M. and another from 0250 to 0432. At 1030 next morning—Mother’s Day—we had burial services for 52 men. Later we knew that some men taken from the ship had died en route to or later on the hospital ship—making the total killed 67. All day, Mother’s Day, salvage crews started cleaning up the mess and it was a mess but the ship had no holes in the bottom so no danger of sinking. All but one of our antennas were either down or their trunks flooded. The Flag radio intelligence shack was a wreck—we lost a radioman chief in there, shrapnel went through his radio and then into his heart. Another shack up higher, where we had two small transmitters, was riddled beyond repair. A salvage repair ship came alongside and started repairs. The rubble that went down the stack got into two of our boilers, damaging them badly. Two days later men had arrived by air from Pearl Harbor to repair the boilers-specialists on that type of work. The stack was patched with huge sheets of steel welded in place. A canvas hood put over it and the welders worked at night-but had to quit several times each night for more air raids.
We did receive mail the afternoon of Mother’s Day which helped our morale until one stopped and thought of how many of those letters were not delivered-but marked, deceased. Next two weeks was same old stuff with that one break of May 21st when I went ashore on Okinawa. May 24th the usual air raid but heard it was to be a big one-started 1830 the 24th to 1405 next morning and again after breakfast 0800 to 1150. And during that period 111 Japs were shot down. May 27th Halsey’s flagship came within spitting distance and next morning at 0530 we were underway for Guam, even though we had a raid starting at 0510-lasting till 0900. Later heard a tin can sitting 100 yards aft of where we were anchored got sunk! Fate? I guess so! May 31st-we moored at Guam. Next morning the Flag left the “New Mex” to set up headquarters ashore at Guam.
The rest you know. . . .
A special thank you to Susan for adding Robert's photo
**Feel free to browse my virtual cemetery for the Indianapolis.
