Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1938 Lucky Bag:

ROBERT PERSHING BLAUVELT

Pete, Bob

Lucky Bag, Ensign.

All hail “Pierre of Port Byron,” the lifesaver of the unsats. Who of us will ever forget his optimistic encouragement and his patient tutoring? London, Oslo, Berlin, and the rear ladder of Carvel gave us an insight of the real Pete, a real mixer, and not the guileless country lad that one may have thought him. A Red Mike at heart and a born conversationalist, Pete’s numerous discourses upon the dependability of the daughters of Eve are equalled only by his pertinent ridicule of the Executive Department, which still fails to make him eligible for his Black N. Pete will be remembered not so much for his numerous accomplishments as for his unselfish and loyal friendship. Clear sailing, and may the shoals be few.

Loss

Robert was lost when USS Amberjack (SS 219) was sunk by a patrol craft on February 16, 1943 near Rabaul.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

In 1930 his family lived in Cayuga, New York. Father Arthur was an attorney as was his son Arthur, Jr.

Robert graduated from Port Byron High School and passed his Regents Examinations in English 4 years, French 2 years, and Latin 4 years. In June 1933, he won honorable mention in the nationwide League of Nations contest. As a Boy Scout in Troop 56 in 1932, he received merit badges for electricity and woodcarving.

At an Armistice Day program at the high school in November 1938, Jack Radford wore Robert’s uniform as a representative of Annapolis.

Robert married Mary Elizabeth Gray in October 1940, and his best man was Lt. Samuel Schilling. In 1941, his wife spent time with her in-laws at their residence on Main Street and also at their summer home on Fair Haven Bay. She was with the wife and son of Lt. Schilling. Robert’s son named Robert was born on April 22, 1943, after his death.

During WWII, Robert’s brother Willard was a captain who was wounded by shrapnel in North Africa while serving with a medical detachment. His other brother Lt. Ervin was stationed in Massachusetts.

The Port Byron Chronicle and Cayuga County News of June 25, 1943 has a (very poorly-scanned) picture of him and his wife. The accompanying article reports he was still missing.

His wife was listed as next of kin. He has a memory marker in New York.

Silver Star

From Hall of Valor:

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Lieutenant Robert Pershing Blauvelt (NSN: 0-81240), United States Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity as Operator of the Torpedo Data Computer on board the U.S.S. AMBERJACK (SS-219) during the FIRST War Patrol of that Submarine against enemy Japanese shipping in the Solomon Islands Area, from 3 September to 30 October 1942. Proficient in handling fire control equipment and in operating the Torpedo Data Computer, Lieutenant Blauvelt rendered invaluable assistance to his Commanding Officer in conducting successful attacks which resulted in the sinking of three valuable enemy ships, totaling 28,600 tons, and in the severe damaging of two additional enemy ships, totaling 14,000 tons, without damage to the AMBERJACK. His heroic conduct and loyal devotion to duty reflect the highest credit upon Lieutenant Blauvelt and the United States Naval Service.

General Orders: Submarine Force Board Awards: Serial 0061 (November 6, 1945)
Action Date: September 3 - October 30, 1942
Service: Navy
Rank: Lieutenant
Company: Torpedo Data Computer Operator
Division: U.S.S. Amberjack (SS-219)

Navy Directories & Officer Registers

The "Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps" was published annually from 1815 through at least the 1970s; it provided rank, command or station, and occasionally billet until the beginning of World War II when command/station was no longer included. Scanned copies were reviewed and data entered from the mid-1840s through 1922, when more-frequent Navy Directories were available.

The Navy Directory was a publication that provided information on the command, billet, and rank of every active and retired naval officer. Single editions have been found online from January 1915 and March 1918, and then from three to six editions per year from 1923 through 1940; the final edition is from April 1941.

The entries in both series of documents are sometimes cryptic and confusing. They are often inconsistent, even within an edition, with the name of commands; this is especially true for aviation squadrons in the 1920s and early 1930s.

Alumni listed at the same command may or may not have had significant interactions; they could have shared a stateroom or workspace, stood many hours of watch together, or, especially at the larger commands, they might not have known each other at all. The information provides the opportunity to draw connections that are otherwise invisible, though, and gives a fuller view of the professional experiences of these alumni in Memorial Hall.