Robert enlisted into the U.S.Army Air Forces in January 1944
at the age of 18. He trained as a gunner on the new B-29 Superfortress. This
airplane was the first with a pressurized cabin, and a crude computer assisted
gun system that featured a central fire control system on the bomber.
After basic training and advanced gunnery school, Robert was
sent overseas to the South Pacific. The B-29 was built as a long range bomber, perfectly
suited to the long range missions over limitless and vast bodies of water. This
was of course every mission in the South Pacific.
Robert was assigned to the 73rd Bomb Wing, 499th
Bomb Group, 877th Squadron of the 13th Army Air Forces.
One of his most memorable missions was flying over Tokyo on
a fire bombing raid. The mission was low level and the heat thermals coming up
from the city because of the fires from buildings burning caused Robert’s
bomber to go over and stood on its right wing, until the pilot regained control
of the B-29 and went back to level flight.
Another time one of the B-29’s engines was hit and put out
of action, but the pilot limped the bomber back to Saipan.
Robert was awarded the Air Medal with Oak Leaf cluster and
the Good Conduct medal. The 499th also received a unit citation for
the successful bombing of the air-field on Okinawa prior to the invasion of
that island by soldiers and Marines.
Robert was discharged on December 16, 1945.
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