Robert H. Stovee

Robert H. Stovee

I enlisted in the Navy in Long Beach, California in July 1942. From there, I was off to Boot Camp in San Diego, California with my next stop at Treasure Island, San Francisco. After a short stay on Treasure Island, I was transferred to the Naval Air Station in Seattle, Washington. My first assignment, on an Escort Carrier, was on the U.S.S. Copahee which was moored in Bremerton, Washington. We departed Bremerton for Pearl Harbor.

In October 1942, we left Pearl Harbor for Espiritu Santo, in the South Pacific, and then on to New Caledonia. At that time, I was attached to a Fighter Squadron. We lost most of our planes at New Caledonia, and we returned to Espiritu Santo. At that time, December 1942, I was transferred to the U.S.S. Nassau (CVE-16) which was anchored in Espiritu Santo. Some other crewmen and I went aboard the Nassau, late at night in a motor whale boat. While aboard the Nassau, I was in V-2. The Nassau was a good ship with a good crew. I will always remember our cruise from San Francisco to Brisbane, Australia with 45 P-38 aircraft onboard, and without an escort for 19 days.

Another time, while anchored in a bay, in the South Pacific, we catapulted P-39 Air Cobras to an island for duty. They really sweated out this maneuver in getting airborne.

I will always remember crossing the 180th Meridian at Latitude 000-0000 in December 1943, while the Nassau was bound on a secret mission of war, and receiving the Golden Shellback card. We crossed the Equator many times, but the Golden Shellback was special.

I stayed with the Nassau until the middle of 1944. I was transferred to shore duty in Pearl Harbor, and then came back to the states in late 1945. My last duty in the Navy was at the Naval Air Station in Los Alamitos, California.

I was born in Howard, South Dakota on June 8, 1921, and came to California in 1927. I have been married for 55 years to my lovely wife, Elaine. We presently reside in Seal Beach, California.