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A Bit of Veteran's History
By Richard L. Graves
Robert E. Hamlin
A member of Joseph P. Chaisson American Legion Post 41 for 21 years shares some memories of his part in World War II.
Bob joined the United States Army Air Corp on July 20th, 1940. Upon completion of basic training, he attended aircraft maintenance schooling and then became an instructor on aircraft repair.
On December 7th, 1941, he was stationed in Panama when the word came down about the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor. They became concerned as the Panama Canal would be a very important control point for any world war; however, Bob was reassigned to the Eight Air Force in Great Britain the journey
beginning on a Liberty Ship used as a troop carrier and traveling in a convoy protected by U. S. Navy destroyers and anti-sub ships.
Pipe rack bunks with canvas bottoms stacked several high provided sleeping quarters. “You couldn’t sit up as the racks were too narrow; [we had to] crawl in and out”. The racks had to be shared as there were more troops then racks.
Many of the troops became seasick during the voyage that lasted ten days and the threat of German submarines was constantly on their minds.
In Great Britain Bob worked primarily on B17 bomber repairs for planes that had made belly landings and during a time when Germany was experimenting with the “Buzz Bomb”. It was a jet propelled unmanned bomb that sound like a jet plane. “When you could hear it you were fine as it flew by”.
“One incident I was walking on the tarmac when a buzz bomb struck the rear portion of a Quonset hut blowing out the end that housed the officer’s
quarters. The blast blew me off my feet. No one was in the officer’s quarters at the time and no one was harmed”.
Bob was honorably discharged in August, 1945, and returned to the Milo area.
In 2008 Bob was honored as a Memorial Day Parade Marshal and remains active in the community.
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