World War II Honoree

Bob Pope

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Stroud, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

Relationship

Relationship Not Determined

ENTERED MILITARY SERVICE in 1944, AFTER HIS JUNIOR YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL, AT AGE 17 AND WITH THE CONSENT OF HIS PARENTS. TRAINED INITIALLY IN THE AMERICAN THEATER, INCLUDING IN CALIFORNIA, FOR ENTRY-LEVEL 'BOOT CAMP' AND THEN ADVANCED SPECIALTY QUALIFICATION. AFTER COMPLETING TRAINING, HE SHIPPED OUT AND SERVED IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER. WHILE EN ROUTE, HIS TROOP SHIP RECEIVED NEWS THAT THE ATOMIC BOMBS HAD BEEN DROPPED ON JAPAN. SOON AFTER, CAME THE NEWS THAT THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT HAD AGREED TO THE ALLIED UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER TERMS, AND THE WAR HAD ENDED ON SEPTEMBER 2, 1945, AND VICTORY OVER JAPAN (V-J) DAY WAS PROCLAIMED. THE DESTINATION OF HIS DEPLOYMENT WAS CHANGED AND HE WAS TAKEN TO SASEBO, JAPAN TO SERVE WITH OCCUPATION FORCES. SASEBO WAS THE SITE OF A HUGE NAVAL BASE THAT HAD RECENTLY BEEN DEVASTATINGLY BOMBED. THE BASE WAS LOCATED SOME 35 MILES NORTH OF THE TOWN OF NAGASAKI WHICH HAD BEEN THE TARGET OF THE SECOND ATOMIC BOMB ON AUGUST 9, 1945. HIS FIRST FEW WEEKS ON OCCUPATION DUTY WERE SPENT ON GUARD DUTY. HE THEN WORKED ON BUILDING TEMPORARY HOUSING FOR JAPANESE CIVILIANS, BECAUSE FEW PERMANENT HOMES REMAINED, DUE TO THE WIDESPREAD DESTRUCTION. HE NOTED THAT THE JAPANESE RESIDENTS WERE DRESSED IN RAGS AND WERE HUNGRY. HE ALSO DROVE A TRUCK THAT TOOK GARBAGE FROM THEIR MESS HALL TO UNLOAD IN A CITY DUMP. HE BELIEVED THAT THE CONTENTS “NEVER HIT THE GROUND” BECAUSE THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF HANDS IMMEDIATELY GRABBING IT. THE CIVILIANS WERE POOR AND STARVING. THE JAPANESE PEOPLE HE CAME INTO CONTACT WITH AND GOT TO KNOW PERSONALLY, WERE KIND AND HUMBLE. AFTER COMPLETING HIS MILITARY OCCUPATION SERVICE OF A BIT MORE THAN 1 YEAR, HE RETURNED HOME TO OKLAHOMA AND COMPLETED HIS SENIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL. HE WAS PROUD TO HAVE PLAYED A ROLE IN THE INITIAL RECONSTRUCTION OF JAPAN. AWARDED THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL, WWII VICTORY MEDAL, AND NAVY OCCUPATION SERVICE MEDAL. HONORABLY DISCHARGED AND ISSUED THE WWII HONORABLE DISCHARGE LAPEL PIN.