World War II Honoree

Robert 'Bob' Freese

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

DRAFTED AT AGE 25. AFTER TRAINING IN THE AMERICAN THEATER, HIS DIVISION DEPARTED THE SAN FRANCISCO PORT OF EMBARKATION ON APRIL 22, 1942 AND ARRIVED IN AUSTRALIA ON MAY 14, 1942. SERVED IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER, WITH THE 32ND INFANTRY 'RED ARROW' DIVISION. PARTICIPATED IN THE NEW GUINEA CAMPAIGN. STATIONED INITIALLY OVERSEAS IN AUSTRALIA AT CAMP CABLE WHERE HIS UNIT TRAINED FOR COMBAT IN THE ARID AUSTRALIAN OUTBACK. ALSO CHOSEN TO PLAY WITH THE DIVISION'S BASEBALL TEAM, WHICH SOMETIMES KEPT HIM ON THE BASEBALL FIELD INSTEAD OF THE BATTLEFIELD. ONCE HIS DIVISION RELOCATED TO NEW GUINEA ON NOVEMBER 19, 1942, HE TOOK HIS RIGHTFUL PLACE IN THE LINE. SERVED AT A NUMBER OF LOCATIONS IN NEW GUINEA, INCLUDING AT THE JUNGLE TRAINING CAMP AT DOBADURA. ONCE DURING BATTLE, HIS RIFLE WAS STRUCK BY A BULLET AND SHATTERED INTO PIECES THAT LEFT FRAGMENTS IN HIS LEG. THE WOUND WAS NOT MEDICALLY TREATED AND HE CONTINUED ON WITH HIS DUTIES. HE WAS AMONG THE 67 PERCENT OF HIS UNIT THAT CONTRACTED MALARIA. HE ONCE WALKED SOME 10 MILES WITH A 103-DEGREE TEMPERATURE TO THE NEAREST ARMY HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT, BUT WAS RETURNED TO DUTY BECAUSE THE FEVER WAS NOT HIGH ENOUGH TO WARRANT HOSPITALIZATION. AFTER LEAVING AND RETURNING TO HIS UNIT, HE DISCOVERED THAT THE HOSPITAL HAD BEEN BOMBED BY THE JAPANESE AFTER HIS DEPARTURE AND A NUMBER OF HIS SOLDIER BUDDIES KILLED. HIS DIVISION FOUGHT IN THE BATTLE OF BUNA-GONA FROM NOVEMBER-DECEMBER, 1942; AND THEN IN THE BUNA-SANANANDA CAMPAIGN FROM DECEMBER, 1942, TO JANUARY, 1943, BEFORE RETURNING TO AUSTRALIA IN FEBRUARY, 1943. AWARDED THE GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. HONORABLY DISCHARGED AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.