Raymond Rose

Raymond James (R.J. “Buddy”) Rose

Chief Boatswain Mate

Born March 17, 1924 Married Dolly Kneupper April 24, 1944

Received into Heaven December 13, 1994

Date of entry into active service: 7-22-41

Highest rank or rating held: Chief Boatswain’s Mate (CR to CBM on 1 Oct. 46)

Service (vessels and stations served on) NTS, San Diego, Calif.

USS LEXINGTON

USS NASSAU

USS MAKIN ISLAND

USS GANTNER

USS ROLETTE

Buddy Rose was born near Waring , Texas, son of Meta and Jim Rose. He and his sister, Anna Belle, rode his horse to school in Waring, Tx., where they attended the one room schoolhouse for eight years. Buddy then attended school in Comfort, Texas.

Buddy married Dolly Kneupper on April 24, 1944. Dolly was received into heaven November 12^th in the year of our Lord, 1998. Together, Buddy and Dolly had four children:

Cheryl Jane Rose-Married Robert Dave Schladoer: Received into heaven at age 45

Married John Bryan

Children: Rebeca Rose Schladoer - Married Dutch Short

Jim Bob Schladoer - Married Karen Freitag

Rhett Jordan Schladoer: One son- Clayton Robert Schladoer

Nancy Jo Rose- Received into heaven at age 49

Susan Kathryn Rose-Married Donald Jerry Durden

Children: Chisom Don Durden: Received into heaven at age 7

Jesse Cameron Durden

Dakota Jim Durden

James Hardin Rose-Married Michele Neill

Children: Jessica Lynn Rose

Jimmie Jackson Rose

Colton Neill Rose

After his 17^th birthday Buddy joined the Navy and received his training in San Diego, California. When Buddy left the States, he was sent to Pearl Harbor where he was on a training cruise for about two months while waiting for the carrier Lexington. He boarded the Lexington in August 1941, where he remained until the Lexington was sunk in the Battle of the Coral Sea on May 8, 1942. Buddy was picked up by the USS ANDERSON, then transferred to the USS PORTLAND and taken with other survivors to Tonga. He was then sent back to the States on the USS GEORGE F. ELLIOT.

In September of 1942, Buddy was on board the USS NASSAU which took part in the Aleutian operation, Gilbert Islands, Marshall and Caroline Islands operations, and assaults on the Phillipine Islands and the Leyte Landings and Luzon attacks.

In August 1944, Buddy was transferred to the USS MAKIN ISLAND whose first major jobs were liberation of the Philippines, Leyte and Lingayen Gulf, capture of Iwo Jima, and long campaign of Okinawa. In September 1945, the Makin Island was in Wahanaura Wan, Southern Honshu for occupation duty. Among her missions was providing air cover for the evacuation of Allied prisoners of war.

In later years Buddy would have fun telling his children and grandchildren he had crossed the equator a total of 38 times during the years he spent in the Navy. There is also the story of how my mother, being “very pregnant,” climbed a rope ladder/Jacob’s Ladder up the side of a ship in port one night to see my father. She was in San Diego with my father’s sister, Anna Belle. My sister, Cheryl was born in San Diego.

Buddy was honored to have served his country. He loved his America and instilled in his children that same love and honor of this beautiful place we all call our own. He would gladly have stepped up again had he been called.

I remember the first time I saw my father cry. He told the story about having to fire upon one of the Navy’s own ships which lay helpless in the water. There were men aboard...they could not be rescued. The ship could not be left in the sea to be boarded by the enemy. My father’s eyes filled with tears. I was eighteen.

I never asked what ship it was. I wonder now if it was the Lexington which he was able to be rescued from.

After the war, Buddy returned to the Texas Hill Country where he and his wife, Dolly, raised the family named above, farmed and ranched, and owned and operated a grocery store and barbecue house in Boerne, Texas, for 29 years. My sister, Nancy, was born with Down’s syndrome and my parents worked hard to give Nancy a full and happy life at home. Nancy was a joy and a gift.

Buddy and Dolly weathered the drought of the fifties, lost the grocery and barbecue house to a flood, rebuilt it, partnered on a cattle feedlot, lost that business and had to sell all the farm equipment to help pay off the debts. Somehow the two of them always came back, held steadfast and strong. I am proud of my parents. I miss them very much. My father’s life at the young age of seventeen when he joined the Navy (he didn’t tell the truth about his age when he joined) greatly impacted the rest of his life and the rest of all of ours, too. I can never know the pain and sorrow he felt, nor the sacrifice. But, what can I know? I can know the love, and God, and I can know my country and hope to give to it every day in some small way. I can hope that if ever asked I will shout as he did, “I’m here and I will come and I will serve.”

God Bless,

Susan Rose Durden

June 19, 2001