Name and Rank, Aviation Machinist’s Mate Second Class Robert Neil Zern.
Unit/Placed in, Torpedo Squadron 16 (VT-16) embarked from the USS Randolph (CV-15) Carrier, United States Naval Reserve.
Robert was born approx. on 1925 in Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana.
Father, Frank Zern.
Mother, Lucy Zern.
Brothers, Pal, Leo and Eugene Zern.
Robert entered the service from Indiana with service number # 7263822.
Robert N. Zern was an Aviation Machinist’s 2nd Class in the United States Navy.
Robert‘s Crew-members on-board the plane a B- were,
Lt. William N. Holmes Pilot
Arm2. Neil J. Hanley Radio Operator/Bombardier
Amm2. Robert N. Zern Gunner
Robert was KIA after his plane was hit by AA (hit the Gastank) over the Mission (Bombing Strikes against Tokyo Airfields), and it crashed in the water, on July 10, 1945, and he is honored with a Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, Army Presidential Unit Citation, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, WW II Victory Medal.
Robert is buried at Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Honolulu County, Hawaii, USA.
Courts of the Missing.
Thanks to http://www.inportercounty.org/Data/Military/WWIIList/ZernRobertNeil.html
Jean Louis Vijgen, WW2-Pacific Website.
Air Force Info, Rolland Swank.
ABMC Website, https://abmc.gov
Marines Info, https://missingmarines.com/ Geoffrey Roecker
Seabees History Bob Smith https://seabeehf.org/
Navy Info, http://navylog.navymemorial.org
POW Info, http://www.mansell.com Dwight Rider and Wes injerd.
Philippine Info, http://www.philippine-scouts.org/ Robert Capistrano
National Historian
Navy Seal Memorial, http://www.navysealmemorials.com
Family Info, https://www.familysearch.org
Info, https://www.pacificwrecks.com/
Medals Info, https://www.honorstates.org
Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com