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| Seaman First Class Robert Clair was a PB4Y-2 crewman based in San Diego. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/65074001/robert-earl-clair https://www.flickr.com/photos/konabish/9070158741 |
Robert Earl Clair never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
He was born on December 22, 1919 in Montoursville, Pennsylvania. His parents Mervin and Tressie were also both born in Pennsylvania. His father worked as a freight station warehouseman and later as a silk mill loom fixer. Robert had one younger sister. Robert had completed four years of high school. He married Marie Vandine and they had a son born in August 1938.
He volunteered for the US Navy in April 1944. He reached the rank of seaman first class and was assigned to a naval patrol bombing squadron VPB-200 that flew PB4Y-2 Privateers (a modified B-24 Liberator) based out of San Diego, California.
Flying out of Naas Camp Kearney on a trans-Pacific flight, Seaman Clair's PB4Y-2 encountered engine trouble and was forced to ditch in the sea 170 from Oahu on May 29, 1945. Two of the crew were killed, including Seaman Clair. The other 10 men survived when the destroyer tender USS Black Hawk found them in a life raft.
His grave is at Montoursville Cemetery in Montoursville, Pennsylvania. His widow remarried and died in 1997. His son died in 2007.
Last year on this date I profiled Normandy fallen Albert Nantz, 9th Infantry Division. You can read about Albert here.
On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!
I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100
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