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2021-04-20T18:41:35+08:00 ·

Bob Sawyer Sharks Teeth Aircraft Photos & Art

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2021-04-18T22:45:23+08:00 ·

WWII NAVAL AVIATOR TURNS 107 | CAPTAIN ROBBIE ROBERTS
Please join us in wishing WWII veteran Captain Richard "Robbie" Roberts a happy 107th Birthday!
At 107, Captain Roberts is among the oldest surviving WWII veterans in the United States. Born on April 17, 1914, Robbie entered service in the US Navy at 23 in September of 1937. Developing a fascination for aircraft from the time he was a young child, he entered the Naval Aviation Cadet Program soon after joining the service. When Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941, Robbie was stationed in the Philippines as a PBY Catalina seaplane pilot. He vividly remembers flying his first mission of the war and watching two of his fellow pilots' aircraft explode midair after taking intense enemy fire. "Seeing some of your friends shot out of the sky was just horrible," he said, "I've got a lot of horrible memories." 
On the third day of WWII, Roberts' plane didn't get more than 50 feet off the runway when it was shot up and severely damaged by a Japanese fighter. Miraculously, he was able to keep the aircraft in flight before landing the seaplane on the water below. Robbie and his crew managed to repair the plane's damage, get it back in the air, and return to base. But his time in the Philippines was short-lived. As the Japanese swiftly overran the island, Richard's PBY became the last American airplane to evacuate the Philippines, carrying military personnel and civilians. To this day, Robbie remembers his comrades who were left behind and became Prisoners of War in Japan.
After escaping the Philippines, he was assigned as the Air Officer aboard the aircraft carrier USS San Jacinto (CVL-30). Roberts had the vital job of directing planes on and off the deck of the ship. He served in this critical position during nine major sea engagements across the Pacific Theater during the war. The carrier provided close air support during multiple amphibious landings, including Iwo Jima and Okinawa. One of Robbie's most notable wartime memories was observing a Japanese kamikaze strike the USS Franklin (CV-13), another aircraft carrier just a short distance away. He recalled seeing a Japanese bomber come through the clouds and dive into the ship, blowing dozens of men and aircraft overboard and engulfing much of the carrier in flames. When the war ended in September 1945, Robbie and the San Jacinto returned home to the US. When asked if he lost many close friends during the war, he somberly replied, "All of them." 
After the war, Captain Roberts was instrumental in the Navy's transition from seaplanes to helicopters, pioneering tactics and doctrine still used today. He retired from the Navy on December 1, 1963, after more than 25 years of honorable service. At 107 years of age, Roberts has fought in one of the most significant wars known to man, became a pioneering Naval officer, traveled to over 60 countries, and left an incredible legacy for us all to remember. Our interview with Captain Roberts in November 2019 was special, but not just because of his longevity. His stories from WWII and beyond are an invaluable historical resource, and it was an honor to preserve them for future generations.
"Giving the Past a Future, One Story at a Time."
WWII Veterans History Project
Visit us online: WW2VeteransHistoryProject.org

Post reproduced from Facebook page WWII Veterans History Project https://www.facebook.com/ww2veteranshistoryproject/

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WWII NAVAL AVIATOR TURNS 107 | CAPTAIN ROBBIE ROBERTS
Please join us in wishing WWII veteran Captain Richard "Robbie" Roberts a happy 107th Birthday!
At 107, Captain Roberts is among the oldest surviving WWII veterans in the United States. Born on April 17, 1914, Robbie entered service in the US Navy at 23 in September of 1937. Developing a fascination for aircraft from the time he was a young child, he entered the Naval Aviation Cadet Program soon after joining the service. When Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941, Robbie was stationed in the Philippines as a PBY Catalina seaplane pilot. He vividly remembers flying his first mission of the war and watching two of his fellow pilots' aircraft explode midair after taking intense enemy fire. "Seeing some of your friends shot out of the sky was just horrible," he said, "I've got a lot of horrible memories."
On the third day of WWII, Roberts' plane didn't get more than 50 feet off the runway when it was shot up and severely damaged by a Japanese fighter. Miraculously, he was able to keep the aircraft in flight before landing the seaplane on the water below. Robbie and his crew managed to repair the plane's damage, get it back in the air, and return to base. But his time in the Philippines was short-lived. As the Japanese swiftly overran the island, Richard's PBY became the last American airplane to evacuate the Philippines, carrying military personnel and civilians. To this day, Robbie remembers his comrades who were left behind and became Prisoners of War in Japan.
After escaping the Philippines, he was assigned as the Air Officer aboard the aircraft carrier USS San Jacinto (CVL-30). Roberts had the vital job of directing planes on and off the deck of the ship. He served in this critical position during nine major sea engagements across the Pacific Theater during the war. The carrier provided close air support during multiple amphibious landings, including Iwo Jima and Okinawa. One of Robbie's most notable wartime memories was observing a Japanese kamikaze strike the USS Franklin (CV-13), another aircraft carrier just a short distance away. He recalled seeing a Japanese bomber come through the clouds and dive into the ship, blowing dozens of men and aircraft overboard and engulfing much of the carrier in flames. When the war ended in September 1945, Robbie and the San Jacinto returned home to the US. When asked if he lost many close friends during the war, he somberly replied, "All of them."
After the war, Captain Roberts was instrumental in the Navy's transition from seaplanes to helicopters, pioneering tactics and doctrine still used today. He retired from the Navy on December 1, 1963, after more than 25 years of honorable service. At 107 years of age, Roberts has fought in one of the most significant wars known to man, became a pioneering Naval officer, traveled to over 60 countries, and left an incredible legacy for us all to remember. Our interview with Captain Roberts in November 2019 was special, but not just because of his longevity. His stories from WWII and beyond are an invaluable historical resource, and it was an honor to preserve them for future generations.
"Giving the Past a Future, One Story at a Time."
WWII Veterans History Project
Visit us online: WW2VeteransHistoryProject.org

Post reproduced from Facebook page WWII Veterans History Project https://www.facebook.com/ww2veteranshistoryproject/WWII NAVAL AVIATOR TURNS 107 | CAPTAIN ROBBIE ROBERTS
Please join us in wishing WWII veteran Captain Richard "Robbie" Roberts a happy 107th Birthday!
At 107, Captain Roberts is among the oldest surviving WWII veterans in the United States. Born on April 17, 1914, Robbie entered service in the US Navy at 23 in September of 1937. Developing a fascination for aircraft from the time he was a young child, he entered the Naval Aviation Cadet Program soon after joining the service. When Pearl Harbor w... Read More

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Sunny Chow

2021-04-18T18:02:04+08:00 ·

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Join us in wishing a happy 100th birthday to Phyliss ‘Pippa’ Latour Doyle MBE, the last surviving female Special Operations Executive agent of the 40 who were sent into France to organise resistance for the Normandy Landings.
At age 23, Phyllis parachuted into occupied Normandy in May 1944 to gather intelligence on Nazi positions in preparation for D-Day. As an agent for the British Special Operations Executive (SOE), Doyle secretly relayed 135 coded messages to the British military before Fra... Read More

Happy Birthday, Phyliss. Thank you for your service.

Post copied from the April 09, 2021 post by Veterans Foundation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/veteransfoundation/photos/a.1200798683281243/4463929683634777/'/>

Anthony Scott Happy birthday madam! A different less self-indulged generation of people.

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· 2021-04-18T21:01:36+08:00

Anthony Scott Happy birthday madam! A different less self-indulged generation of people.

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· 2021-04-18T21:01:35+08:00

Mamat Salleh She was just 23 years old in 1944 - Respect and Salute to her bravery , even at that young age!

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· 2021-04-18T18:04:47+08:00

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Sunny Chow Shingo NONAKA

2021-04-18T16:23:58+08:00 ·

Welcome to eHangar, Shingo-san!

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Sunny Chow Sean Ryan-Johnson

2021-04-17T23:37:02+08:00 ·

Hello Sean, welcome to eHangar!

Sean Ryan-Johnson Thanks Sunny 👍

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· 2021-04-18T01:02:37+08:00

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Sunny Chow Ernis

2021-04-14T00:59:25+08:00 ·

Welcome to eHangar, Ernis!

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Sunny Chow Christopher Von

2021-04-10T13:58:46+08:00 ·

Welcome to eHangar, Christopher!

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Sunny Chow Ron Argo

2021-04-08T12:35:13+08:00 ·

Hello Ron! Welcome to eHangar!

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Sunny Chow Paul McKay

2021-04-05T19:47:18+08:00 ·

Welcome to eHangar, Paul!

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Sunny Chow Mark Savage

2021-04-05T18:07:27+08:00 ·

Welcome to eHangar, Mark!

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The Aviation Art of Randy Green

Tom La Padula Military Aviation Art

Oxygino Aviation Art

Carlos Alonso

Fuzzy

Benjamin GRUNENWALD

Frederik BekkerSiahaan

Daryl Irvin

Jetplane

Liam O\\\\\\\'Shaughnessy

Samuel Kania

Dale Summers

Edward Wade

Brandon Costa

Christian Coronado

LAWRENCE TONG

Liam O\\\\\\\'Shaughnessy

Dale Summers

Edward Wade

Christian Coronado

Ubahary Kenty

Aeromodeling

Airbrushing

Base Jumping

Cloud Watching

Militaria

Aviation Art

Scale Modelling

Aviation Humor

Civilian Aviation

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