USS ROBERT L WILSON HISTORY AND OTHER PERTINENT INFORMATION

''TRIBUTE TO THE MAN''...PFC ROBERT LEE WILSON ...US MARINE CORPS

Robert Lee Wilson was Born 24 May, 1921, in Centralia, Illinois and enlisted in the Marines in Chicago on 9 September 1941. After training at San Diego, Caliornia, he joined The men of the 1st Marine Division on 7 to 9 August 1942 in Landing Assaults against a number of strongly defended positions on Tulagi, Gavatu, Tanaambogo, Florida, Guadalcanal and British Soloman Island. His division completely routed out all enemy forces and seized a most valuable base and airfield. Wilson shared in the Presidential Unit Citation awarded the 1st Marine Division, Reinforced for actions on Guadalcanal, and in a Presidential Unit Citation awarded the 2nd Marine Division, Reinforced for the seizure and occupation of the japanese-held Atoll of Tarawa, Gilbert Island, 20 to 24 November 1944. Pfc Robert Lee Wison was mortally wounded in action while taking party in the capture and occupation of the Marianas Islands. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the 2nd Battalion 6th Marine Division during action against enemy japanese forces on Tinian on 3 August 1944, while advancing toward enemy troops, Private First Class Wilson threw himself on an enemy grenade sacrificing himself to save a group of companions.

Robert's Gravestone Marker in Centralia, Illinois

THE PRESTIGIOUS MEDAL OF HONOR

PRESIDENTIAL UNIT COMMENDATION RIBBON W/TWO BRONZE STARS AND PURPLE HEART WITH BRONZE STAR

CHRISTENING OF THE USS ROBERT L WILSON

The Christening Ceremony by Mrs. Joe Wilson, Mother of Robert L Wilson, for whom the Ship was named for, 5 January 1946, Bath Maine

LAUNCHING OF THE USS ROBERT L WILSON DD847

The Lauching of this Great Ship was on 5 January 1946 at Bath Maine, and she was later commisioned at the Boston Navy Shipyard on the 28th of March l946. Commander John T. Probasco was in command. These Photos were provided by shipmate Rufus Walker.

CHRISTENING RIBBON AND SHIP'S PATCH

USS ROBERT L. WILSON DD-847 First Day In Commission FDC 1946 Limited-Edition Fancy Postmark

This Limited-Edition Cover was Postmarked in 1946 for USS Robert L Wilson DD-847 on her First Day in Commission and was recently sold on Ebay. You guessed it, I didn't bid on it and missed the purchase, but was able to save this photo for all you shipmates. It is postmarked 28 March 1946. It was addressed to Charles E Moore in Philadelphia PA.

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE of COMMISSIONING CEREMONY

This article reads: "Launched on January 5, 1946, in the Bath Iron Works Corp., Me. Yards, the USS Robert L. Wilson arrived at Boston Navy Yard for formal acceptance. The craft is named for Marine PFC R.L.Wilson of Centrailia, Ill., who received the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously for saving the lives of three buddies. Marine Sgt H.H. Lehman, Payne, Oh.,(insert above) one of the three, shakes hands with CDR J. Probasco, first skipper of the Wilson.

MOVIE STAR VISITS NEW SUPER DESTROYER

A good friend of the Marine Hero for whom the craft was named, attractive Lucille Patton of "Merry Wives of Windsor", took a keen interest tour of the USS Robert L Wilson at Boston Navy Yard as Cdr John Probasco, skipper of the ship escorted her. They're in a Powder Magazine looking down a chute connecting to a gun turrent.

FINAL SKIPPER CAPTAIN TRUXALL SHEDS LIGHT ON COMMISSIONING PENNANT

Here is an explanation from Skipper Truxall regarding the seven stars on the commissioning pennant, and he has the USS Robert L Wilson commissioning pennant in his posession, which is customary as the Last Skipper of the Ship   As naval history goes, in the early days, all thirteen stars were flown, but that was too big for small ships, so................   Earlier American commissioning pennants bore 13 white stars in their blue hoist. A smaller 7-star pennant was later introduced for use in the bows of captains' gigs, and was flown by the first small submarines and destroyers. This principle even carried over into the national ensign; bigger ships flew the conventional flag of their time, while small boats used a 13-star "boat flag" which was also flown by early submarines and destroyers since the standard Navy ensigns of that day were too big for them. The 13 stars in boat flags and in earlier pennants doubtless commemorated the original 13 states of the Union. The reason behind the use of 7 stars is less obvious, and was not recorded, though the number 7 has positive connotations in Jewish and Christian symbology. On the other hand, it may simply have been an aesthetic choice on the part of those who specified the smaller number.   So, how easily tradition follows a simple decision. Bill Truxall

ANOTHER CENTER PIECE OF HISTORY FOR OUR SHIP

For All of Our Shipmates who Contributed to this Great Moment in 2005, Thank You!!, and May You All Have Fair Winds and Following Seas!!

HISTORY OF THE ROBERT L WILSON DD847

Gearing Class Destroyers......The Ultimate World War II Destroyer and the backbone of the Post-War Navy was the Gearing Class Destroyer. Operating as ASW, AA, and Fire Supply platforms throughout the world, and even to the present day, having revealed the versatility and worthiness of this class of ship. This Class may be gone, but they will never be forgotten in the Hearts and Souls of the men who rode them. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Robert L. Wilson (DD-847) was laid down by the Bath Iron Works Corp., Bath, Maine, 2 July 1945; launched 5 January 1946, sponsored by Mrs. Joe Wilson; and commissioned in the Boston Navy Yard 28 March 1946, Comdr. John T. Probasco, in command. Following shakedown in Cuban waters, Robert L. Wilson sailed from Norfolk 23 July 1946 for a 6-month tour of duty with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. Returning to the United States in February 1947, she spent the next 2 years based at Newport, R.I., operating off the Atlantic Coast and in the Caribbean. After overhaul at Boston, she stood out of Hampton Roads on a midshipman cruise to Plymouth, England; Cherbourg, France; and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. On 4 March 1950 Robert L. Wilson was redesignated an escort destroyer (DDE-847). She finished out the year with a midshipman training cruise to Northern Europe, duty in the Mediterranean which included special antisubmarine warfare demonstrations, and hunter-killer operations along the eastern seaboard from Norfolk. On 1 January 1951, as the result of a fleet reorganization, Robert L. Wilson became a unit of Escort Squadron 4 and hoisted the pennant of Commander, Escort Division 42. By 30 June 1960, she had completed eight tours of service in the Mediterranean since commissioning, provided training for cadets of the U.S. Military Academy along the eastern seaboard, and conducted the annual summer midshipmen cruises for the U.S. Naval Academy, stressing antisubmarine tactics. On 1 July 1956, she was assigned to the newly established Destroyer Squadron 36, composed of destroyer escort types specially configured for antisubmarine missions and yet maintaining the capability to handle all destroyer missions. During the last week of November and the early part of December 1959, Robert L. Wilson and two other escort destroyers participated in Operation "Monsoon," manning sea-air rescue stations for the Presidential flight to Europe from the United States. She then operated in the western Atlantic and Caribbean until a Norfolk Navy Yard overhaul in the summer of 1960. Returning to Caribbean and Atlantic operations, in January 1961 Robert L. Wilson pursued Portuguese liner SS Santa Maria which had been seized by a group of revolutionaries. An 8-day chase took Wilson across the equator to Recife,Brazil. Returning to Norfolk, Wilson underwent a month of preparation, then departed on 8 June for her ninth Mediterranean cruise. She spent the fall and winter of 1961 operating in the western Atlantic out of Norfolk. In January 1962, Wilson participated in recovery operations for a Project Mercury manned space capsule. Wilson deployed with Task Group Bravo to Northern Europe in February, returning to Norfolk in mid-June 1962. On 1 August 1962 she was again classified DD-847. In September of 1962 Wilson and the other ships of Destroyer Division 362 deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba as a unit under the command of the Naval Base Commander for the purpose of base defense, and was at Guantanamo and in adjacent waters during the Cuban Crisis in October. Wilson returned to Norfolk in late November and operated locally until March 1963 when she entered the Philadelphia Navy Yard for a FRAM I modernization. Emerging from her overhaul period in 1964 she continued to serve with the Atlantic Fleet for the balance of that year and throughout 1965. After serving as gunfire support ship at Guantanamo Bay Cuba, in late January and early February 1966, Robert L Wilson was assigned the abort station for the first unmanned Apollo space shot. In April and June she was rescue destroyer for Wasp (CVS-18), prime recovery ship for the Gemini 9 space mission. Following ASW exercises, she made her 12th deployment to the Mediterranean 22 July 1966, returning to Norfolk 17 December. Following service as School ship for the Fleet Sonar School in January and February, Wilson spent the rest of 1967 operating in the Atlantic and Caribbean. Robert L. Wilson continued these operations until May 1968 when she joined the search for nuclear submarine Scorpion searching the continental shelf off the coast of Norfolk and then following the Scorpion's track back to her last reported position southwest of the Azores without success. Returning to Norfolk 13 June, Wilson operated in the Atlantic until steaming 6 September for a western Pacific deployment. Touching at San Diego, Pearl Harbor, Midway, Guam, and Subic Bay, Robert L. Wilson took up a naval gunfire support mission 36 miles south of Hue, the ancient capital of South Vietnam. She then undertook search and rescue duty in the Gulf of Tonkin after 28 October, destroying two sampans with .50 caliber machine gun fire and hand grenades. In early November Wilson was assigned as plane guard for Constellation (CVA-64) on Yankee Station. She remained in the Far East through the end of the year. Wilson returned to San Diego from the Far East 27 March 1969, and operated off the west coast until transiting the Panama Canal and arriving Norfolk 21 June. She then operated in the western Atlantic and Caribbean until deploying to the Mediterranean on 5 March 1970. During this Mediterranean cruise, Robert L. Wilson participated in two combined NATO exercises, DAWN PATROL and MEDTACEX, and was, for a time, diverted to the Levantine Basine due to another Middle East crisis. She returned to Norfolk 16 September for a leave, upkeep, and training cycle which continued to the end of the year. Upon completion of overhaul, refresher training, and other operations in the Atlantic, Robert L. Wilson commenced another deployment to the Sixth Fleet, departing from Norfolk 17 September. After six months away from Norfolk, she returned 17 March 1972 and completed the year operating out of that port. Stricken September 30 1974 and sunk as target off Puerto Rico January 25 1980. Robert L. Wilson earned three battle stars for service in the Vietnam conflict. Related information: Provided by Richard Angelini of the USS John P Kennedy (DD 850) Site with much appreciation

THE STORY OF THE SHIP'S ANCHOR

E-mail message From: dilloway@ntplx.net (Phil Dilloway) Date: Sat, Aug 31, 2002, 12:57pm (PDT+3) To: dd847@webtv.net Subject: The anchor story   Anchor We had recently arrived for a  Med deployment as part of a Hunter/Killer group operating with the jeep carrier Cabot and a diesel submarine.  Our port of call was a place called Mers El Kabir, a small breakwater  sheltered seaport, outside of Tangier.   The carrier moored to the breakwater quay and the destroyers were in nests of three about half a  mile away in the inner harbor.  Wilson was the inboard ship with two other destroyers outboard.   The Commanding Officers and Execs. were all at a meeting ashore. For whatever the reason, the ships in our nest had their boilers shut down except possibly  for one to provide power and steam to the others.   As the First Lieutenant,  I was on the focsle checking the lines when I noticed dark clouds forming to the north out to sea.   Storms come up very suddenly in this part of the Mediterranean at this time of the year with little or no warning.  One such storm was about to bear down upon us.   The first clue of any impending danger was the lorry I was watching drive down the quay toward the Cabot. There she was, and then she wasn't!  A wave broke over the breakwater and picked up the truck and pushed it into the bay.  A chop quickly turned into waves within the sheltered basin. The ships in the nest started to work against one another and then one of our bow lines snapped.  Then  another.   Fenders between ships were being  ripped apart and ultimately we were metal to metal.   We quickly decided to light off the boilers in case we had to get underway. But with other ships alongside this didn't seem like a likelihood.  The submarine got underway and stood out to sea.   The wind had picked up considerably and though we had doubled up our lines, we were still parting hawsers. In the mess deck was a crew from the first division hastily spicing parted hawsers.  We would no more than repair one then we would have to replace a parted one.   The nest was crushing the Wilson amidships! I gathered a small group of bosun's mates and crawled up to the anchor windlass.  I couldn't stand the wind was so fierce.  The sky was black and the sea angry. The carrier I believe had been driven from the quay and had dropped anchor to stop from drifting down upon us.   I had decided to attempt to hold the nest and ride to our anchor chain.   There is a fusible link in the anchor chain a few fathoms from the harp.  It is possible to  hold the anchor in its chock and still disconnect the anchor from the chain.  This we quickly did while lashing ourselves to the forecastle as best we could.  With the anchor disconnected we fed the chain out on the pier and lashed it around a stout bollard.  We took up slack with the windlass and rode to the chain and held the nest.   As  quickly as it started the weather subsided.  The Wilson had held the nest but in exchange suffered irreparable damage to several ribs aft of midships. We got an emergency  tender availability for repairs but for the rest of her days the Wilson was  "wasp waisted" and this is how it all happened.

END OF WW2 MESSAGE to ROBERT L WILSON

This message was received in early 1946 by our shipmate Vince DeLuca RM3 aboard Robert L Wilson DDE847

"PROJECT GEMINI CACHET'

This Project Gemini Cachet was mailed from the USS ROBERT L WILSON in March 1965 during her involvement with Project Gemini and the ships who were assigned for pickup and retrieval of the crew and space capsule. This was an important part of Wilson's History and Participation in the early progress of Space Travel.

MORE CACHES FROM WOLFGANG HECHLER OF LAUTERTAL, GERMANY

THE SAGA OF 'THE WANDERING WILLY' PIRATE CHASER EXTRAORDINAIRE On 23 January 1961, Capt. Robert E. Jeffery, ComDesDiv 362, embarked in his FlagShip "Wandering Willy (DDE847)", on one of the most unusual missions in the annals of modern day naval history. For late that night while participating in the annual Springboard Operations at San Juan, P.I., Capt. Jeffey received a high priority message from Rear Admiral Allen Smith Jr., ComCaribSeaFrontier, ordering him to proceed at top speed with two ships, the Wilson and Damato, to a point between Martinique and Santa Lucia in the Carribbean, the last known position of the little known, but now world infamous Santa Maria. This 20,000 ton Portuguese cruise ship had been Miami bound from Curaca with a load of passengers of some 600 mixed nationalities; Miami bound, that is, until some 70 of those passengers saw fit to set themselves apart by forcibly taking over the ship. The Wandering Willy Boart and the Damato steamed home via Trinidad, a trip of little than less than 3000 miles, to arrive in Norfolk on Monday the 13th of February. Twenty days of the Santa Maria adventure seemed more like twenty weeks, but the memories of the adventure, (some pleasant and some otherwise), the sun-tans, the shellback cards, and the sea stories will stay with those of us for years who were a part of it all. A complete lengthy and interesting complete story is available by this site owner upon request and will be sent "snail mail" !! The original and complete story, was mailed to us One Year Ago by shipmate Billy Massingale who was aboard at that time. Art Piper also sent me the story, and we have condensed the story for this site.

PORTUGUESE RADARMANS STORY OF THE SANTA MARIA SENT TO ART PIPER Ray Martins, a Portuguese Radarman writes to Art Piper, a Wilson ICman at the time: _______________________________________ The Liner Santa Maria was a passenger ship built in 1952 , and was employed in the passenger service between Miami and Lisbon via Venezuela and Brazil and was Portuguese Owned. The highjackers boarded the liner at La Guaira (Venezuela), about 22 of them, their luggage cosisted of several chests full of armament bought in the Caracas "blackmarket". They took over the ship on the night of 23 January 1961. Of the 600 passengers, 42 were American citizens. The officer on watch at the bridge, refused to hand over the ship, put up a fight, and was shot dead. The highjackers meant business... Two days later on the 25th, the liner was spotted by a P-2V USNavy aircraft from the Naval Base at Puerto Rico, 600 nautical miles from the mouth of the Amazon River: it's exact location: 10 degrees, 35 minutes north and 45 degrees, 42 minutes west. So the game of Cat and Mouse started. The highjackers wanted to topple the right wing Franco Government in Spain. It was left over after the WW2, when they were non beligerant allies of Hitler's Germany. To that effect they had plans to disembark on the Spanish Isle of Fernando Po, and set up a "democatic" government in exiles. Among the highjackers was a few Portuguese adventurers who wanted independence for Angola, at that time a Portuguese colony, fighting a guerrilla war against the Portuguese. I was serving on a Frigate NRP "Diogo Cao" F333, ex USS Formoe DE509, My first ship after Boot Camp. I was a Radarman. On the 26th my ship was tied up to the jetty in the Naval Base in Lisbon. I had been on the mid watch and was sound asleep in my bunkbed authorized to sleep for an extra hour due to the watch. At about 0500 I was awakened in Navy style with strong shakes by a Boot Camp contemporary. Ray! Get up we are going to get the ship ready to sail, someone has stolen the Santa Maria! I can recall myreply...San Maria, what is it! Some sort of fish and chips shop? I was not very pleased to have my sleep disturbed. When I was told what the Santa Maria was. We saile by way of the Portuguese Cape Verde Islands, where we laded lots of sandbags and sailed southwest. Many years later I found out that my ship together with the American ship USS Robert L Wilson were scheduled to board the liner. I have a book with a passage of the incident, stating that the Navy Dept. in Washington together with the Portuguese Navy Dept., worked out plans to board the shp. We had some training on the subject. First the plans were to fire at the props, but that would be too dangerous, it could open a hoe in the hull, and being under the waterline the shp could sink with a loss of life. Should we have went ahead with the boarding operation... that would have been very dangerous for the boarding parties. A liner being much higher that a destroyer and a couple of hand grenades thrown from the deck of the liner would do extensive damage to life and limb. Those guys were dangerous and had a good supply of hand grenades. Also there was rumours that, we were being shadowed by a Russian Submarine, but there was not proof of that. One thing I do know, on my ship the boys in the Sonar shack were busy all the time. On the 2nd of February we were approaching Recife. I remember vividly, I just had my afternoon tea and biscuits (a tradition in the Portuguese Navy from the days of Vasco Da Gama). I went on watch in the CIC a few minutes after I looked at the plotting table and saw the ship turning around. The highjackes had given themselves up to the Brazilian authorities. When we arrived back in Lisbon the first thing I did was to go to a restaurant and order a big steak and have a goood night ashore. After a couple days were off again to France and Engand, for the Dawn Breeze NATO Exercises. ________________________________________ I hope you will have found this account of an incident which took place on the High Seas over 41 years ago and that was splashed all over the front pages of every newspaper in the world and the main news on every TV and Radio station. Best Regards, Ray Martins

RAY MARTINS AND HIS SHIP F333

I Ray Martins confirm that, the photo of myself in tropical uniform appearing on the history page: was taken in August 1964 in Bissau capital city of the former Portuguese colony of Guinea, now an independent country under the name of Guinea-Bissau, West Africa. I was 21 years old then and, as I told you "as green as grass" Now I am 60 years old and look back to those days with a great amount of nostalgic feelings: I miss the sea,the ships, the shipmates, the uniform and those happy times ashore. On the 15th May ultimo I went to my Bootcamp shipmates reunion which took place in a restaurant on the outskirts of Lisbon. It is 43 years since we joined (March 1960), I was 17 years old and, just out of high school. I am proud to say that, the 3 months I spent in bootcamp had a strong psychological effect in my young mind: discipline, teamwork, friendship, self esteem etc., etc.. What followed during my 8 years in the Navy service was an incalculable asset to face civilian life when I came out in March 1968. We were 450 spread over 6 companies, my company was the 5th.(the companies were formed according to the geographical location from where the recruits came from.Not like that now). A handfull of us already have "crossed the bar" and, found safe anchorage on the Sea of Eternity. We remember them every year. The Navy today?! It is very different..." In a nut shell", if I had to join today, well... I would not stand for the modern day Navy and, no doubt, I would be off straight away. Back in the 60's I had dealings with the USNavy within the NATO framework and I found a very disciplined force. The USNavy sailor could be seen ashore in their smart uniforms, their "Florsheim" shoes shinning etc.etc.In appearance, they were second to none!! Let me tell you something: in the USNavy you had nothing but the best! I saw it!! The most formidable and efficient war machine afloat. I remember in the summer of 1962, I was on the F334 ex: DE440 USN, and coming towards Lisbon Naval Base, at the bar there was the 6th fleet and carriers waiting for their pilots. My God, what a beautiful sight! That was part of the Navy of the most powerful Country in the World!..... Guardian of the free world!! Ray Martins

ADVERTISEMENT FOR EVERPURE BROMINATION SYSTEMS FOR SHIPS' DRINKING WATER

This advertisement with the famous photo of the Robert L Wilson in rough seas was provided by Phyl Dilloway, can anyone give me an estimated time when this was published?

THE BEGINNING OF THE CHANGE OF A GEARING TO A BASILONE CLASS IN 1963

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