World War II Honoree

Robert Weldon North

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Austin, Texas

Honored By

John C. Burkhardt, SVC MOPH, Chapter 1919, Austin, Texas

SERVED IN THE ASIATIC PACIFIC CAMPAIGN. AFTER COMPLETING TRAINING HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE NEWLY COMMISSIONED AIRCRAFT CARRIER, BEN FRANKLIN CV-17, LATER TO BECOME KNOWN AS, 'BIG BEN - THE SHIP THAT WOULDN'T DIE.' HE WAS ASSIGNED AS AVIATION ORDNANCEMAN, THIRD CLASS. HE WAS ONE OF THE SAILORS RESPONSIBLE FOR STORING, MOVING AND LOADING THE BOMBS AND WEAPONS ON THE AIRCRAFT, PRIOR TO THEIR LAUNCH INTO COMBAT. THEY FIRST SAW ACTION ON JUNE 30, 1944, LAUNCHING STRIKES ON THE BONINS, IN SUPPORT OF THE MARINAS ASSAULT. ON JULY 4, 1944 THEIR PLANES LAUNCHED STRIKES AGAINST IWO JIMA, CHICHI JIMA AND HA HA JIMA PRIOR TO THE FIRST ASSAULT WAVES LANDING. THEY CONTINUED TO LEND SUPPORT TO OTHER OPERATIONS AND ON OCTOBER 9, 1944, THE BEN FRANKLIN BECAME THE FLAGSHIP OF TG38.4, LEADING THE ATTACKS ON LEYTE, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, PRIOR TO THE ASSAULT TROOPS LANDING. SHE RECEIVED NUMEROUS HITS SUFFERING THE LOSS OF MANY LIVES AND INJURIES. ON OCTOBER 30,1944, CV-17 WAS HIT BY A SUICIDE BOMBER THAT CRASHED THROUGH THE GALLERY DECK, KILLING 56 AND WOUNDING 60. ALTHOUGH HE HAD SEEN A GREAT DEAL OF COMBAT HE HAD MADE IT THROUGH UNSCATHED UP TO THIS POINT. ON MARCH 15, 1945, CV-17 RETURNED TO COMBAT, JOINING TF58. ON MARCH 18 SHE LAUNCHED STRIKES ON KAGOSHIMA AND IZUMI, IN SOUTHERN JAPAN. BEFORE DAWN ON MARCH 19, 1945 CV-17 HAD MANEUVERED CLOSER TO JAPAN THAN ANY OTHER AMERICAN SHIP DURING THE WAR. THEY HAD LAUNCHED STRIKES AGAINST HONSHU AND KOBE HARBOR, WHEN A SINGLE PLANE ATTACKED THEM, DROPPING TWO BOMBS. ONE BOMB STRUCK THE FLIGHT DECK CENTERLINE AND PENETRATED THE HANGER DECK, CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE AND NUMEROUS FIRES. THE SECOND BOMB STRUCK THE AFT SECTION GOING THROUGH TWO DECKS, CAUSING FIRE THAT TRIGGERED EXPLOSIONS OF THE AMMUNITION STORES. IT WAS DURING THIS ATTACK THAT HE ALONG WITH 723 OTHER MEN LOST THEIR LIVES AND 265 WERE WOUNDED. AMONG OTHER AWARDS AND CITATIONS HE RECEIVED THE PURPLE HEART MEDAL FOR WOUNDS RECEIVED IN COMBAT.