World War II Honoree

Robert Charles Kemp

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Dubuque, Iowa

SPENT FIFTEEN MONTHS IN THE PACIFIC ON AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER. THE CARRIER TRAVELED ALL OVER THE PACIFIC EXCEPT FOR THE NORTH PACIFIC, TAKING PART IN FIVE INVASIONS AND ONE LARGE SEA BATTLE. THE CARRIER FOUGHT AGAINST MANY JAPANESE AIR AND SUBMARINE ATTACKS WHILE IN THE PACIFIC. WAS NEARLY KILLED FIVE TIMES. ON OCTOBER 25, 1944, THE CARRIER, USS SAINT LO WAS SUNK BY ATTACKS FROM JAPANESE KAMIKAZE PLANES. HE WAS RESCUED DAYS LATER FROM HIS LIFE RAFT. THE SECOND SHIP HE SERVED ON, THE MIDWAY, WAS ALSO ATTACKED BY SUBMARINES AND WAS ALSO NEARLY BLOWN OUT OF THE WATER. HE SERVED FOR A TOTAL OF 18 MONTHS AND WAS AWARDED MANY BATTLE STARS INCLUDING THE PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION WITH BRONZE STAR.