World War II Honoree

Robert Hudson Neff

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Canfield, Ohio

Honored By

Jennifer Neff

Relationship

Daughter

HE WAS ONE OF THE EARLIEST WWII OFFICERS TO BE COMMISSIONED BY THE U.S. NAVY. HE WAS COMMISSIONED ON JUNE 3, 1942 AT THE AGE OF TWENTY-SIX AND BECAME A FULL LIEUTENANT ON OCTOBER 1, 1944. BEGINNING AS AN ENSIGN, HE WAS ORDERED TO ATTEND THE FIRST SESSION OF INDOCTRINATION FOR NEWLY COMMISSIONED OFFICERS AFTER THE U.S. DECLARED WAR. FOLLOWING INDOCTRINATION, JULY 15-SEPTEMBER 15, 1942, AT DARTMOUTH COLLEGE IN HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE, HE WAS SENT TO AMPHIBIOUS TRAINING BASE (ATB) LITTLE CREEK, VIRGINIA, WHERE HE SUPERVISED AIRCRAFT IDENTIFICATION AND NIGHT LOOKOUT TRAINING. ATB WAS ONLY TWO WEEKS OLD WHEN HE ARRIVED. THREE YEARS LATER, 1945, HE ENDED HIS CAREER AT THE NAVAL TRAINING CENTER (USNTC) IN SAMPSON, NEW YORK, WHERE HE WAS IN CHARGE OF ALL CLASS ROOM INSTRUCTION (EXCEPT MEDICAL) FOR THE 25,000 ENROLLED RECRUITS. AT THAT TIME THIS WAS THE SECOND LARGEST NAVAL TRAINING CENTER IN THE UNITED STATES.