World War II Honoree

Robert Louis David Ord

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Denver, Colorado

Honored By

Anne Smith

Relationship

Granddaughter

On October 14, 1940, he registered for the draft. On June 23, 1942, he enlisted in the US Navy Reserves as a Radio Technician, 2nd class (RT2c) V-6. Three days later he reported to the Naval Training School-Radioman, Treasure Island, California for training in radio materiel. On June 11, 1943, he completed the Radio Material course at Naval Training School, Treasure Island, and was qualified in General Radio Material, RADAR and Underwater Sound Equipment. After completion of these courses, he was transferred to the Receiving Station in Norfolk, Virginia on June 14, 1943 awaiting further transfer. From June 19 to November 24, 1943 he was assigned to Lion Three , at Naval Operating Base, Norfolk Virginia. During this time he reported for temporary duty at the Radio Laboratory at Norfolk Navy Yard in Portsmouth where he completed Radio Technician 1st class and Radioman 1st class training on October 6. On November 1, 1943 he was promoted to Petty Officer 1st Class. On November 24, Thanksgiving Day, he was transferred to Advance Base Assembly and Training Unit, Naval Training Center, Lido Beach, Long Island, New York. Two and a half weeks later, on December 11 the boarded the SS Aquitania . The next day the ship left New York. A week after leaving New York, the anchor was dropped around 3:00pm on December 19, 1943 in Scotland. On the evening of December 20 he debarked from the SS Aquitania and was ferried to a truck which took him to US Naval Base Two Rosneath, Scotland. On February 4, 1944 he was assigned to DrewUnit One and boarded H.M.S. Victorious, an aircraft carrier, for a 5-day trip to Exeter, England. At the end of May he returned to Rosneath. On July 1, he sailed from England for Normandy arriving at Omaha Beach-head. On July 2, the ship moved to Utah Beach-head. He stayed on the ship until July 6 when he and the other troops began unloading the ship before going ashore in an Army duck. On July 24 he left Utah Beach and took a truck to Cherbourg. He moved to the small boat area on August 7th and worked to set up a buoy shop and planted 3 sonobuoys, a small buoy used to conduct anti-submarine warfare. On September 25, he boarded the USS General W. M. Black. The next day the ship left Cherbourg at 6:00pm sailing for Plymouth, England. The USS Black left Plymouth on the morning of September 28th. After a day at sea, the ship joined a convoy headed back to the US, arriving in Boston on the night of October 8th. After a 3 week leave, he reported to the United States Naval Training School School (USNTSch) (HD) at Fishers Island, New York for sound school. From December 20 until March 23 he was stationed at the United States Naval Mine Warfare Testing Station (USNMWTS) in Solomons, Maryland. On April 3 he reported to the San Francisco Receiving Ship on Treasure Island. On April 28 he boarded USS Wisconsin in San Francisco. The ship left port late in the morning on April 29, arriving in Pear Harbor the morning of May 7. He was at the U. S. Submarine Base, Pearl Harbor, until October 3, 1945. On October 7 he sailed from Pearl Harbor and arrived in San Francisco on October 13. On October 20, in Shoemaker, California he was honorably discharged from the Navy after serving 40 months in the Naval Reserves. During his time serving in the US Navy, he as award 3 campaign ribbons: American Campaign Medal , European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal and the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal . He also received the Good Conduct Medal .