World War II Honoree

Robert Carl 'Bob' Fite

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Paoli, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

HE TOOK A CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINATION IN THE SPRING OF 1942, AND WAS SENT TO RANTOUL, ILLINOIS FOR TRAINING AS AN AIRPLANE MECHANICS INSTRUCTOR. HE SPECIALIZED IN AIRCRAFT ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS AND RECEIVED TRAINING AT THE ARMY AIR FORCES (AAF) AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE TRAINING SCHOOL AT LINCOLN, NEBRASKA. HE WAS DEEMED INELIGIBLE FOR THE MILITARY DRAFT DUE TO HIS CLASSIFICATION AS ENGAGED IN ESSENTIAL GOVERNMENT WORK. HE WORKED AS AN ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS INSTRUCTOR AT THE AAF AIRPLANE MECHANIC TRAINING SCHOOL AT LINCOLN ARMY AIR FIELD IN LINCOLN. HE TAUGHT ARMY TECHNICIANS HOW TO REPAIR AND TROUBLESHOOT AIRCRAFT ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS DURING THE FIVE-MONTH MECHANIC’S COURSE. AS HE WANTED TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE WAR EFFORT IN A MORE DIRECT WAY, HE EXPLORED THE NAVY OFFICER TRAINING PROGRAM, AND WAS OFFERED A COMMISSION AS AN ENSIGN. HE HAD HIS DRAFT STATUS CLASSIFICATION CHANGED, AND ON FEBRUARY 26, 1943, WAS SWORN IN THE NAVY AS AN ENSIGN. HE REPORTED ON ACTIVE DUTY ON JUNE 28, 1943 AT THE NAVAL TRAINING SCHOOL (INDOCTRINATION) AT QUONSET POINT, RHODE ISLAND FOR OFFICER ORIENTATION TRAINING. HE WAS THEN ASSIGNED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANGELES (UCLA) FOR A 10-MONTH COURSE IN METEOROLOGY AND WEATHER FORECASTING. AFTER NINE MONTHS, HE WAS DETACHED TO LA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA FOR A 6-WEEK COURSE IN SEA & SWELL FORECASTING, AT SCRIPPS INSTITUTE OF OCEANOGRAPHY. ON AUGUST 13, 1944, HE WAS SENT TO SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA TO AWAIT OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENT AND ASSIGNMENT TO U.S. NAVY WEATHER CENTRAL IN BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA. SAILED FROM SAN FRANCISCO ABOARD THE PROVISIONS STORESHIP USS CALAMARES (AF-18), ON A 23-DAY VOYAGE TO MANUS ISLAND. SERVED AS A METEOROLOGIST IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER, ASSIGNED TO THE RELOCATED 7TH FLEET NAVY WEATHER CENTRAL. HE WAS BASED INITIALLY AT MANUS ISLAND, IN THE ADMIRALTY ISLANDS, IN THE BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO. WEATHER FORECASTING WAS A KEY TO COMBAT OPERATIONS, AND ACCORDINGLY, WAS TREATED AS CLASSIFIED INFORMATION AND ENCODED BEFORE BEING TRANSMITTED. WEATHER DATA CAME FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES, INCLUDING A UNIQUE REPORT FROM TOKYO, JAPAN. SOURCE IDENTIFICATION WAS A CLOSELY-HELD SECRET. HE LATER SERVED ABOARD THE SEAPLANE TENDER USS CURRITUCK (AV-7) IN LEYTE GULF, IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, BEGINNING IN NOVEMBER, 1944. AT LEYTE, HIS SHIP WAS ONE OF MANY TARGETS OF JAPANESE ‘KAMIKAZE’ SUICIDE PLANES. ONE OF HIS DUTIES WAS TO TRACK TYPHOONS AND OTHER TROPICAL STORMS THAT COULD POSSIBLY AFFECT MILITARY OPERATIONS, AND TO PROVIDE WARNINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. HE WAS LATER TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER SEAPLANE TENDER, USS HALF MOON (AVP-26), WHERE HE PERFORMED THE SAME DUTIES. WHILE SERVING ABOARD SHIP, HE WAS ABLE TO USE THE TOKYO REPORT TO GOOD EFFECT IN PROVIDING CRITICAL WEATHER DATA FOR USE IN TAKING THE WAR TO THE JAPANESE HOMELAND. HE USED THE TOKYO REPORT RIGHT UP UNTIL THE END OF THE WAR. IN FEBRUARY 1945, HE WAS ORDERED TO CLARK FIELD, ON LUZON IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, WHERE HE WAS ATTACHED TO FLEET AIR WING 17, WITH DUTIES TO FORECAST WEATHER FOR THE WING'S PATROL AIRCRAFT. AS PART OF HIS DUTIES, HE WAS ASSIGNED AS A TYPHOON RECONNAISSANCE OBSERVER AND FLEW ABOARD FLIGHTS TO LOCATE, MAKE IN-FLIGHT REPORTS, AND TRACK SUCH STORMS. SERVED AS A WEATHER OBSERVER ABOARD B-24 ‘LIBERATOR’ BOMBER AIRCRAFT THAT WERE MODIFIED FOR STORM TRACKING. IN ADDITION TO THE THREAT POSED BY THE WEATHER, HIS AIRCRAFT WAS IN DANGER OF ATTACK FROM JAPANESE GROUND, NAVAL AND AIR FORCES. ON ONE MISSION, HIS AIRCRAFT WAS DAMAGED BY A STORM AND UPON RETURN TO BASE, MADE SUCH A HARD LANDING THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS NO LONGER AIRWORTHY; AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY ONLY USED FOR SPARE PARTS. AFTER THE JAPANESE SURRENDER HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO NAVAL STATION SANGLEY POINT, ON THE CAVITE CITY PENINSULA ON LUZON, SURROUNDED BY MANILA BAY, ON OCTOBER 1, 1945. ON THE DAY FOLLOWING HIS LAST STORM-CHASER FLIGHT, HIS REPLACEMENT AT HIS OLD UNIT WAS ON A ROUTINE RECONNAISSANCE MISSION, SUCH AS HE HAD FLOWN, WHEN THE PLANE AND ITS CREW WERE LOST AT SEA. SERVED OVERSEAS UNTIL AFTER THE WAR ENDED AND RETURNED ABOARD AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER TO THE STATES IN DECEMBER, 1945, LANDING AT SAN FRANCISCO. HE HAD SPENT SOME 15 MONTHS OVERSEAS. HE ARRIVED AT NAVAL AIR STATION, MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE ON DECEMBER 30, 1945, WHERE HE WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED ON JANUARY 6, 1946 FROM ACTIVE DUTY. ISSUED THE WWII HONORABLE DISCHARGE LAPEL PIN. AWARDED THE AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. HE CONTINUED IN NAVAL RESERVE SERVICE AFTER THE WAR UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT WITH THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT COMMANDER.