World War II Honoree

Robert Burns 'Bob' Reed

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Magoffin County, Kentucky

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

ENTERED MILITARY SERVICE IN 1942, AFTER GRADUATING FROM OKLAHOMA AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE IN STILLWATER, OKLAHOMA, WITH AN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING DEGREE. BRIEFLY ATTENDED THE U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY FOR OFFICER INDOCTRINATION, PROFESSIONAL AND LEADERSHIP TRAINING AND WAS ASSIGNED TO THE DESTROYER USS PRESTON (DD-379), DAYS AFTER HIS 23RD BIRTHDAY. REPORTED ABOARD THE PRESTON ON SEPTEMBER 19, 1942, AS AN ENSIGN. SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER DURING THE WAR. PRESTON WAS BASED AT PEARL HARBOR AND FOR SOME FOUR MONTHS CONDUCTED EXERCISES AND PERFORMED PATROL AND ESCORT WORK IN THE HAWAIIAN AREA. ON OCTOBER 15, 1942, THE SHIP SAILED FOR THE SOLOMON ISLANDS. ON OCTOBER 26, 1942, THE DESTROYER FIRED HER GUNS AT ENEMY DIVE BOMBERS AND TORPEDO PLANES AT THE BATTLE OF THE SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS. HIS SHIP WAS NOT ATTACKED DIRECTLY, BUT SUCCEEDED IN DOWNING TWO PLANES. DURING THIS ACTION, A TORPEDO PASSED UNDER THE HULL OF HIS SHIP WITHOUT DETONATING. SHE EMERGED UNSCATHED FROM HER FIRST ENGAGEMENT AND RETIRED TO NOUMEA IN NEW CALEDONIA FOR A SHORT RESUPPLY TRIP. REARMED, ON NOVEMBER 8, 1942, SHE HEADED BACK TO GUADALCANAL IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS FOR HER SECOND AND LAST FIGHT. ON THE EVENING OF NOVEMBER 14, 1942, THE SHIP SAILED ALONG THE WESTERN END OF GUADALCANAL TO INTERCEPT A JAPANESE SEA ADVANCE DOWN THE ‘SLOT’ TO BOMBARD HENDERSON AIR FIELD AND LAND REINFORCEMENTS. THE JAPANESE ENTERED THE CHANNEL BETWEEN SAVO ISLAND AND CAPE ESPERANCE ON GUADALCANAL. AT 2317 HOURS, THE THIRD BATTLE OF SAVO ISLAND BEGAN. EDGING ALONG THE SOUTHERN SHORE OF SAVO, THE USS PRESTON ENTERED THE FRAY WITH HER 5” GUNS. THE CONCENTRATED AMERICAN DESTROYERS WERE NOW CENTRAL TARGETS. PRESTON OPENED FIRE ON AN ILLUMINATED ENEMY TARGET AND WAS FIRED ON IN RETURN. THE ENEMY PROBABLY USED THE DESTROYER’S 5” GUN FLASHES TO TARGET HER. PRESTON WAS STRADDLED BY THE FIRST SALVO AND HIT BY THE SECOND. IN LESS THAN TEN MINUTES, THE VESSEL WAS A FLOATING PYRE. HER BRIDGE WRECKED, AFTER STACK TRAILING OVER THE SIDE, AND BOTH FIRE ROOMS DEMOLISHED. HE WAS KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS BY EXPLOSIONS. PRESTON'S FIRES MADE IT AN EASIER TARGET AND SHELLS CAME IN FROM BOTH PORT AND STARBOARD. AS THE CRIPPLED SHIP COASTED TO A HALT, THE ENEMY’S NEXT SALVOS LANDED ON THE DESTROYER'S AFT SECTION, LIKELY HITTING THE AFT 5” AMMUNITION MAGAZINE, WITH CATASTROPHIC RESULTS. THE SHIP'S TORPEDOES WERE SMASHED TO BITS BY THE EXPLOSION. AS HE RECOVERED FROM THE EXPLOSIONS, THE FIRES CONTINUED TO SPREAD. AT 23:36 HOURS, PRESTON WAS ORDERED ABANDONED. HE WENT OVERBOARD INTO ‘IRON BOTTOM’ SOUND WATERS AND BEGAN TO SWIM TOWARD SAVO ISLAND. MINUTES LATER, THE VESSEL ROLLED ON HER PORT SIDE, FLOATED FOR ANOTHER TEN MINUTES, BOW IN THE AIR; THEN SANK, TAKING 116 OF HER CREW WITH HER, INTO THE SAVO SOUND DEPTHS. SADLY, AS THE SURVIVORS DREW CLEAR OF THEIR SINKING SHIP, ANOTHER FRIENDLY SHIP THEN APPEARED OUT OF THE DARKNESS AND STEAMED THROUGH THE MEN IN THE WATER. HE WAS NOT IN THE PATH OF THAT SHIP AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY PICKED OUT OF THE WATER BY ANOTHER DESTROYER, AND HAD NO SIGNIFICANT INJURIES. USS PRESTON (DD-379) WAS SUNK AT THE SECOND NAVAL BATTLE OF GUADALCANAL, ON NOVEMBER 14, 1942. THE NAVAL BATTLE OF GUADALCANAL WAS HAILED AS A VICTORY FOR THE AMERICANS. AT THE COST OF THREE DESTROYERS, INCLUDING THE PRESTON, THE AMERICANS DESTROYED A BATTLESHIP AND A DESTROYER. IMPORTANTLY, THE EFFORT TO DESTROY THE AMERICAN BEACHHEAD ON GUADALCANAL AND DEVASTATE HENDERSON FIELD HAD BEEN BLOCKED. HE WAS TAKEN TO TULAGI ISLAND IN THE FLORIDA ISLAND GROUP OF THE SOLOMON ISLANDS AND THEN TO ESPIRITU SANTO ISLAND IN THE NEW HEBRIDES ISLANDS. THEN TAKEN ABOARD THE HOSPITAL SHIP ‘SOLACE’ TO AN ARMY HOSPITAL AT SUVA IN THE FIJI ISLANDS, WHERE HE SPENT ABOUT ONE MONTH. HE WAS FURTHER MEDICALLY EVACUATED ABOARD A FREIGHTER TO THE UNITED STATES WHERE HE SPENT ABOUT THREE MONTHS AT THE MARE ISLAND HOSPITAL IN VALLEJO, CALIFORNIA. THE DESTROYER EARNED TWO BATTLE STARS FOR WWII SERVICE. HE WAS THEN RETURNED TO ACTIVE DUTY AND ASSIGNED TO THE DESTROYER USS HOPEWELL (DD-681). USS HOPEWELL SAILED FOR THE TERRITORY OF HAWAII ON JANUARY 13, 1944. SHE THEN SAILED ON JANUARY 23, 1944 FOR THE INVASION OF THE MARSHALL ISLANDS IN THE NORTH WESTERN PACIFIC OCEAN. WHILE SERVING AS A FORWARD PICKET SHIP, HOPEWELL ARRIVED OFF KWAJALEIN ATOLL ON JANUARY 31, 1944, AND DELIVERED GUNFIRE SUPPORT DURING THE INITIAL ASSAULT. THAT NIGHT SHE BOMBARDED ROI AND NAMUR ISLANDS, WHICH WERE TWIN ISLANDS IN THE KWAJALEIN ATOLL. ON FEBRUARY 1, 1944, DD-681 MOVED TO SCREENING AND PATROL DUTIES OFF OTHER ADJACENT ISLANDS. THE SHIP THEN SAILED TO PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII AND ARRIVED ON FEBRUARY 24, 1944. THE DESTROYER ARRIVED AT PURVIS BAY IN THE FLORIDA ISLAND GROUP IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS ON MARCH 14, 1944, TO TAKE PART IN AN OFFENSIVE ON THE NORTHERN COAST OF NEW GUINEA. THE SHIP CARRIED OUT SCREENING AND PATROL ASSIGNMENTS, AND CONTRIBUTED SHORE BOMBARDMENT DURING THE VILLAGE OF AITAPE LANDINGS IN THE NORTH COAST TRUST TERRITORY OF NEW GUINEA, AS PART OF THE HOLLANDIA OPERATION IN DUTCH NEW GUINEA. THE WARSHIP ALSO CARRIED OUT A BOMBARDMENT OF JAPANESE POSITIONS ON NEW IRELAND ISLAND, IN THE BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO, ON MAY 29, 1944. THE SHIP’S NEXT OPERATION WAS THE INVASION OF MOROTAI ISLAND, IN THE DUTCH EAST INDIES. SHE ARRIVED ON SEPTEMBER 16, 1944, ASSUMED SCREENING DUTIES, AND SHOT DOWN AN ATTACKING JAPANESE PLANE. THE VESSEL SAILED ON SEPTEMBER 25, 1944, FOR HUMBOLDT BAY, ON THE NORTH COAST OF CALIFORNIA. HIS SHIP SAILED AND ARRIVED AT LEYTE ON OCTOBER 24, 1944, TO TAKE PART IN THE INVASION OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. THE VESSEL EXPERIENCED MECHANICAL DAMAGE AND DEPARTED THE NEXT DAY FOR HUMBOLDT BAY, WHERE REPAIRS TO THE SHIP COULD BE MADE. WHILE EN ROUTE, THE SHIP WAS ATTACKED, AND IN THE BATTLE, THE DESTROYER SHOT DOWN TWO ENEMY AIRCRAFT. THE SHIP SAILED ON NOVEMBER 8, 1944, FOR LEYTE, AND JOINED THE MINDORO ISLAND INVASION FORCES, OFF THE SOUTHWEST COAST OF LUZON IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. USS HOPEWELL ARRIVED OFF THE ASSAULT AREA ON DECEMBER 15, 1944, AND PROVIDED FIRE SUPPORT. AS ENEMY AIR ATTACKS CONTINUED, THE SHIP ASSISTED IN SHOOTING DOWN OTHER JAPANESE PLANES BEFORE SAILING AGAIN FOR LEYTE. DD-681 THEN PREPARED FOR THE INVASION OF LUZON ISLAND, TO BE CARRIED OUT AT LINGAYEN GULF. SHE SAILED ON JANUARY 4, 1945, AND FOUGHT OFF DESPERATE JAPANESE KAMIKAZE SUICIDE AIRCRAFT ATTACKS ON THE PASSAGE TO LINGAYEN. DURING THE LANDINGS ON JANUARY 9, 1945, THE SHIP PROVIDED AIR COVER. THE DESTROYER JOINED IN THE AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT ON CORREGIDOR ISLAND ON LUZON AT THE ENTRANCE TO MANILA BAY, ON FEBRUARY 14, 1945. DURING THE ASSAULT, HIS SHIP CLEARED OBSTRUCTIONS FROM MARIVELES HARBOR WITH GUNFIRE, INCLUDING ENGAGING A LARGE ENEMY ARTILLERY BATTERY ON CORREGIDOR. THE WARSHIP MOVED INTO THE HARBOR TO HELP DAMAGED FRIENDLY SHIPS, AND SOON RECEIVED FOUR HITS, PUTTING HER BATTERY CONTROL STATION OUT OF COMMISSION. ALTHOUGH SUFFERING 17 CASUALTIES, THE SHIP REMAINED IN MANILA BAY UNTIL FEBRUARY 18, 1945, WHEN SHE SAILED TO MANUS ISLAND IN THE ADMIRALTY ISLANDS FOR REPAIRS. THE SHIP THEN CONTINUED TO SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ARRIVING ON MARCH 17, 1945. AFTER FURTHER REPAIRS, THE VESSEL SAILED FOR PEARL HARBOR ON MAY 28, 1945. ON JULY 20, 1945, SHE SAILED FOR ENIWETOK ATOLL IN THE MARSHALL ISLANDS, AND GUAM IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS. THE DAY OF THE JAPANESE SURRENDER, HOPEWELL SAILED FROM GUAM AND THEN OPERATED IN JAPANESE WATERS IN SUPPORT OF THE OCCUPATION UNTIL OCTOBER 21, 1945, WHEN SHE SAILED FOR THE UNITED STATES VIA PEARL HARBOR. USS HOPEWELL ARRIVED AT PUGET SOUND NAVY YARD ON NOVEMBER 8, 1945. THE DESTROYER RECEIVED NINE BATTLE STARS FOR WWII SERVICE. HE WAS AWARDED THE COMBAT ACTION RIBBON, CHINA SERVICE MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL, WWII VICTORY MEDAL, AND NAVY OCCUPATION SERVICE MEDAL WITH ‘ASIA’ CLASP. ALSO AWARDED THE PHILIPPINE LIBERATION MEDAL FOR SERVICE IN THE LIBERATION OF THE PHILIPPINES. HONORABLY DISCHARGED AND ISSUED THE WWII HONORABLE DISCHARGE LAPEL PIN. RECALLED TO ACTIVE DUTY AFTER THE WAR AND SERVED UNTIL AGAIN HONORABLY DISCHARGED WITH THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT COMMANDER.