World War II Honoree

Robert E. Chester

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Kremlin, Oklahoma

Honored By

Lana Chester Hendershott & Lance Chester

Relationship

Daughter & Son

ENLISTED IN U.S. NAVY ON JANUARY 18, 1944 AT THE AGE OF 17. LEFT HOME 3 DAYS AFTER GRADUATION FROM KREMLIN HIGH SCHOOL AND REPORTED FOR ACTIVE DUTY MAY 23, 1944. ASSIGNED BOOT CAMP AT SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA NAVAL TRAINING CENTER FOR 7 WEEKS. THEN WENT FOR 16 WEEKS OF ELECTRICAL TRAINING AT ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI FOLLOWED BY AMPHIBIOUS TRAINING AT LITTLE CREEK, VIRGINIA. THE USS LSM 348 WAS COMMISSIONED MARCH 24, 1945 AT CHICAGO, ILLINOIS AND WAS THE ONLY SHIP HE SERVED ON. THE SHIP WENT DOWN THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER, PASSED THROUGH THE PANAMA CANAL TO SAN PEDRO, CALIFORNIA AND THEN STAIR-STEPPED MOST PACIFIC ISLANDS EVENTUALLY REACHING OKINAWA JUST BEFORE JAPAN SURRENDERED. FINAL DESTINATION WAS TIENTSIN, CHINA FOLLOWED BY RETURN OF SHIP TO UNITED STATES AND HIS DISCHARGE AT NORMAN, OKLAHOMA ON JUNE 7, 1946.