Info below provided by: Russ Pickett

Robert served as a Private, Headquarters Squadron, CF, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

He resided in Chittenden County, Vermont prior to the war.

He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on October 15, 1940, prior to the war, in Montpelier, Vermont. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a mechanic and also as Single, without dependents.

He was taken prisoner in the capture of the Philippines at Corregidor in May, 1942.

Robert was declared "Missing In Action" while a POW of the Japanese Army. He was a passenger on the Japanese ship "Arisan Maru".

He was awarded the Prisoner Of War Medal and the Purple Heart.

The Japanese ship "Arisan Maru" was loaded with 1,782 U.S. POW's and about 100 civilians in the cargo holds. The U.S.S. Shark, not knowing that American POW's were on board, fired three torpedoes at 5:30pm that hit the ship, causing it to break into two pieces that floated before sinking.

The entire crew except for nine of the POWs aboard died in the sinking. The sinking was the largest loss of American lives in a single disaster at sea.

This record is a "Cenotaph" in his honor.

Service # 11015663

Vermonters Who Gave Their All

Info below provided by: Russ Pickett

Robert served as a Private, Headquarters Squadron, CF, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

He resided in Chittenden County, Vermont prior to the war.

He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on October 15, 1940, prior to the war, in Montpelier, Vermont. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a mechanic and also as Single, without dependents.

He was taken prisoner in the capture of the Philippines at Corregidor in May, 1942.

Robert was declared "Missing In Action" while a POW of the Japanese Army. He was a passenger on the Japanese ship "Arisan Maru".

He was awarded the Prisoner Of War Medal and the Purple Heart.

The Japanese ship "Arisan Maru" was loaded with 1,782 U.S. POW's and about 100 civilians in the cargo holds. The U.S.S. Shark, not knowing that American POW's were on board, fired three torpedoes at 5:30pm that hit the ship, causing it to break into two pieces that floated before sinking.

The entire crew except for nine of the POWs aboard died in the sinking. The sinking was the largest loss of American lives in a single disaster at sea.

This record is a "Cenotaph" in his honor.

Service # 11015663

Vermonters Who Gave Their All