Staff Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, World War II. Veteran of the World War II battles Guadalcanal, Bougainville, and Tarawa. From December 15, 1942, Robert was attached to Marine Squadron VMSB-143 as an airplane armorer and torpedo repairman, serving at Henderson Field on Guadalcanal, in the Solomons Islands. Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 143 (VMSB-143) was nicknamed the Rocket Raiders by famed comic strip artist Alex Raymond, who was made an honorary member of the unit while serving alongside them in the Pacific War. He designed a new squadron patch inspired by his work, creating Flash Gordon. In 1943-44, after the Battle of Tarawa, Robert made his way to Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale where he would train as a gunner in the TBM/TBF Avenger torpedo bombers. He was the gunner aboard the TBM Avenger "FT-117" [TBM-1C - BuNo 73209] that was part of the famous Flight 19 squadron that disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle during a routine 5-ship overwater navigation training mission out of NAS Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Staff Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, World War II. Veteran of the World War II battles Guadalcanal, Bougainville, and Tarawa. From December 15, 1942, Robert was attached to Marine Squadron VMSB-143 as an airplane armorer and torpedo repairman, serving at Henderson Field on Guadalcanal, in the Solomons Islands. Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 143 (VMSB-143) was nicknamed the Rocket Raiders by famed comic strip artist Alex Raymond, who was made an honorary member of the unit while serving alongside them in the Pacific War. He designed a new squadron patch inspired by his work, creating Flash Gordon. In 1943-44, after the Battle of Tarawa, Robert made his way to Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale where he would train as a gunner in the TBM/TBF Avenger torpedo bombers. He was the gunner aboard the TBM Avenger "FT-117" [TBM-1C - BuNo 73209] that was part of the famous Flight 19 squadron that disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle during a routine 5-ship overwater navigation training mission out of NAS Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
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