World War II Honoree

Robert Coney

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Baton Rogue, Louisiana

Honored By

Charles Henry Atkinson

Relationship

Fellow Veteran

IN 1945, 16-YEAR-OLD ROBERT CONEY HAD JUST FINISHED HIGH SCHOOL AND LIED ABOUT HIS AGE TO ENLIST IN THE NAVY. 'I WAS IN THE NAVY TO SERVE MY COUNTRY. I WAS A REAL FLAG WAVER THEN.' THE TEENAGER SOON FOUND HIMSELF ABOARD A DESTROYER IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC, WORKING IN THE SHIP'S BOWELS TO SEND AMMUNITION UP AN ELEVATOR. AS WORLD WAR II WOUND DOWN, DESPERATE JAPANESE KAMIKAZE PILOTS BEGAN DIVE-BOMBING AMERICAN SHIPS. 'WE WERE HIT SEVERAL TIMES, I SAW PARTS OF AIRPLANES - WHEELS AND LANDING GEAR STUCK IN THE FANTAILS.' WHEN HIS SHIP WAS UNDER ATTACK, THE DOORS AUTO-MATICALLY WOULD LOCK AND BECOME WATERTIGHT, AND THE MAGAZINE WOULD FLOOD. NOBODY WORKED IN THE MAGAZINES EXCEPT YOUNG, NEGRO SAILORS. 'THE FLOODING WAS TO KEEP THE MAGAZINE FROM EXPLODING,' SAYS CONEY. 'I COULD UNDERSTAND THAT. BETTER TO SACRIFICE HALF A DOZEN 18-YEAR-OLDS THAN 190 MEN AND THE WHOLE SHIP. BUT IT AFFECTED ME.' ROBERT CONEY PUT IN FOR A TRANSFER TO THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, BUT THE REQUEST WAS DENIED. CONEY ATTRIBUTES THE DENIAL TO THE NAVY NOT COUNTING NEGRO LIVES AS VALUABLE. AS A RESULT, HE SAYS, HE SUFFERED A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN. 'AS SOON AS THE WAR WAS OVER, THEY SENT ME TO LONG BEACH NAVAL HOSPITAL: PROGNOSIS PSYCHOSIS,' CONEY LAUGHS. HE RECEIVED AN HONORABLE DISCHARGE AND RETURNED TO HIS NATIVE LOUISIANA IN 1946, ONLY TO FIND HIMSELF DOING EXACTLY WHAT HE'D JOINED THE NAVY TO AVOID: WORKING AS A DISHWASHER, 12 HOURS A DAY, SIX DAYS A WEEK, FOR $56 A MONTH. 'I JUST KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING BETTER,' CONEY SAYS.