USN Chief Petty Officer Robert W. "Bottles" Ketchum

My father was a Navy man, through and through. He entered Boot Camp at Great Lakes, Ill in 1942. His background and experience in professional shooting led him to designing and building the Navy shooting range in Martha's Vinyard.

He received his Aviation Gunnery Specialist rank on November 14, 1942, from the United States Navy Gunnery School in Pensacola, Florida.

His tour of duty included travels through Australia, New Zeland, South America, Africa, and The Hawaiian Islands. He saw action in the Coral Sea Campaign, the Wake Island Campaign, the Midway Island Campaign, The Marshall Islands Campaign, Leyte in the Phillipine Islands, The Truk Islands, Guam,Tinian and Saipan, and many other South Sea Island locations under Admiral Nimitz and General Douglas "Dugout" McArthur.

He served aboard the USS Robert L. Hawes, Minesweeper USS Curlew, Carrier USS Shangrala, USS Senfidler, and USS Bunker Hill. He served with the 31st US Infantry, the 9th Air Group of B-29's, the 6th and 17th Air Groups, the 16th US Marines, the 141st Seabee's, and the US Navy Wolf's Head Squadron of HellDivers.

He was honerably discharged from WWII with the rank of Chief Gunner's Mate.

The Ozark Angler
Champion Skeet Shooter

MY FATHER'S NAVY PICTURE SCRAPBOOK
ON MY FACEBOOK PAGE

Back to CCS Home Page

© 1995-2009 Ozark Network Communications, Inc.