Left: Bob Wise
Right: Narvis Robinson Safe in the States - Late 1945 |
Narvis Robinson and Bob Wise were two of many brand new sailors reporting
aboard ship in late May 1944. At this time, the USS Bush was undergoing repairs
at Mare Island in the San Francisco Bay area. A year after her commissioning
many Bush sailors with experience were being transferred to other assignments;
while many new sailors fresh from boot camp reported aboard, like Narvis and Bob.
Seaman 2nd Class Bob Wise reported aboard May 19, 1944 and Seaman 2nd Class Narvis
Robinson did so on May 26, 1944.
Still aboard when the ship was lost on April 6, 1945, both had moved up in rating to Seaman 1st Class and both were part of the Ordnance Division. Narvis and Bob would survive the loss of their ship. |
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Narvis was part of the #1 5-inch gun crew. He recalls abandoning ship just before
the 3rd and final plane hit the ship. Once in the water, he recalls had taken shelter
under a balsam wood raft when the plane struck almost above
him. When his lungs ran out of air, he surfaced and the raft was still on fire
but the gasoline fire on top of the water had gone out. He would later wind up
clinging to the very same raft until rescued. Narvis was one of 17 men picked up
by the PCE(R) 855 (the USS Rexburg) during the early morning hours of April 7, 1945.
Bob Wise was part of the #2 5-inch gun crew. He too would cling to a small punt (boat) that had capsized, until his rescue by the LCS(L)-40, along with an number of other men using the capsized punt to help stay afloat and together. In the Recollections section of the website, there are more Bob Wise and Narvis Robinson memories of their ship's sinking and rescue. Also, within the Photo Section is another page regarding Bob Wise. |