ARM 3C Robert Blaine Watson 8219947
ARM 3C Robert Blaine Watson 8219947 US Navy MIA / KIA. He was born in 1925 in Saegertown Pennsylvania. He was the son of Blaine Clifton Watson, and Thora Esther Davis Schmitt Watson. He was also the brother of Ralph E Watson, and George A. Watson both served in the Korean War in the US Army. Robert entered the US Navy on May 4, 1943 in Erie Pennsylvania. He joined the Crew of the USS Indiana on October 15, 1944.
During the morning of August 7, 1945 the USS Indiana launched two seaplanes for an authorized routine patrol flight. In one of these planes was ARM 3C Robert B. Watson as radioman with LTJG Everett R Backman USNR the pilot. The day was beautifully clear with a calm sea and a very slight breeze. A normal launching was made and ARM 3C Watson and LTJG Backman plane circled the ship and headed toward its assigned sector. The Ship spoke to LTJG Backman the planes pilot on the radio and he answered there was no intimation of anything amiss. In the meantime, the pilot of the 2nd plane was piloted by Ensign Arthur D. Thomas USNR and the radioman was Arm 2/C Larry Hawn. The 2nd plane was trying to catch up with the plane piloted by LTJG Backman. While Ensign Thomas was still approximately 300 yards behind LTJG Backmans plane. At this point Thomas saw Backmans plane suddenly slip off to the left and spin down and structed the water 600 feet below with a terrific crash. The crash occurred at 0802 AM local time. By the time Ensign Thomas could do a half circle and land a maneuver taking approximately one minute there was no sign of the plane or its two occupants except for a small amount of floating debris and oil through which Ensign Thomas searched carefully. A destroyer was directed to the scene of the crash and joined in the search. The destroyer reported finding several small pieces of wreckage in a large oil spot. Ensign Thomas plane was still at the scene of the crash when the destroyer appeared. According to the Captain of the USS Indiana “Due to the foregoing circumstances I was forced to conclude that your son was definitely dead even though his body was not recovered.”
ARM 3C Robert Watson and Lieutenant Junior grade Everett Raymond Backman died on August 7, 1945, and their bodies have not been found. They are both listed on the MIA memorial in Honolulu, Hawaii. Robert’s name is also on his parents gravestone in Venango, Crawford County, Pennsylvania. Robert died at the age of 20. ARM 3C Robert Watson was awarded the World War Two Victory Medal, The Purple Heart Medal, the Combat Action Ribbon, the American Campaign Medal, The Navy Presidential Unit Citation, the Navy Good Conduct Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and the Navy Expeditionary Medal.
