U.S. Marine Corps Reservist, Robert B. Sheeks, Service Chronology
Pre-WWII Training:
Enlisted September, 1938: (age 16 ) Private, USMC Reserve, 14th Battalion, Spokane, Washington. Reserve service training sessions, weekly infantry drill, , occasional weekend rifle range target practice. September 1938 to October 1940.
Summer, 1939: Reserve duty at Bremerton Navy Yard, Puget Sound. Washington, Weapons training, mortars, grenades, rifle marksmanship. War-game maneuvers, across Olympic Mountain Range.
Summer, 1941: Felts Field, Spokane. Army Air Force Reserve pilot training completed, received Private Pilot License, single engine aircraft. Automatic enrollment in Army Air Force Reserve.
Received military call-up releases from USMC and Army Air Reserve for Harvard college education , starting Fall Term 1940.
Wartime Training:
December 1941: Harvard sophomore year, immediately after Pearl Harbor, recruited by US Navy Intelligence, Washington DC, for training as Japanese Language and Intelligence Officer. Received language training at University of California, Berkeley, February-June 1942, University of Colorado, Boulder,. July 1942 to January, 1943. Training status rank: Yeoman (Y2cV4) USNR, during year, 1942-43.
Commissioned: 2nd. Lieutenant, USMCR, rank from December 5, 1942
U.S Service/ training: Camp Elliot, Marine Base, San Diego 18 January to 15 April, 1943 Ground assault drill, weapons, and parachute practice.
Overseas Service: New Zealand and New Caledonia April--November1943
Appointed Assistant D-2, Second Marine Division, FMF. Promoted in the Field (at Saipan) to First Lieutenant, May 15, 1943
Campaigns: D-Day Landings:
Tarawa: November 1943; Saipan: June 1944; Tinian: July 1944.
Floating Reserve:
(At Okinawa) March, April 1945
Award; Commendation:
September 1, 1944: Recommended for Legion of Merit, “For exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service to the Government of the United States as a Japanese interpreter with the Division Intelligence Section, Second Marine Division on TARAWA, SAIPAN and TINIAN”… etc.
September 1, 1945, Awarded Bronze Star Medal with Combat V and Citation, (dated January, 1945, awarded at Saipan), “For heroic achievement in action against the enemy while serving as a Japanese Interpreter with the intelligence section of a Marine Division on Saipan and Tinian, Marianas islands, from 15 June 2 1 August 1944"…etc.
Officer Ranks/Promotions:
(Wartime) 2nd Lieutenant, from 05 December 1942; 1st Lieutenant, from 20 December 1943.
(Postwar) Captain, from 19 July 1948; Major, from 01 January 1951.
Military Travel:
January 14, 1943: Detached to Camp Elliott, San Diego. Joined Headquarters and Service Company, FMF, Training Center for training, mid-January through mid-March, 1943 in Officer Indoctrination School.
15-31 March, at US Naval Hospital, San Diego on sick leave (severe bronchitis).
Second Marine Division, 1st MAC FMF, In The Field:
April 1943: Returned to Officer Indoctrination School; joined 16th Replacement Battalion, served as Battalion Officer. 17 April embarked on troop transport, SS Lurline at San Diego. 18-26 April, enroute from San Diego to Tutuila Samoa. 28-30 April enroute from Samoa to Noumea, New Caledonia.
May 1943: As Battalion Officer; 01-02 May, enroute from Samoa to Noumea, New Caledonia; 03 May at Noumea; 04-08 May from Noumea to Melbourne, Australia; 09-10 at Melbourne; 11-14 May enroute to Wellington, New Zealand; disembarked 15 May.
16-21 May, joined First Marine Amphibious Corps (1st MAC) Headquarters Company, Division HQ Battalion, Division Special Troops, D-2 as Japanese Language Officer Interpreter; 22-31 May, on temporary duty at Noumea, interrogated POWs from Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. Translated documents and maps from sunken Japanese ships and a submarine (I-17).
From 31 May through 20 August 1943: Continued temporary duty, Noumea, at headquarters, 1st MAC. Japanese POW interrogation and document translation..
August 23, 1943: Embarked, sailed on board USS TALAMANCA. 26 August 1943 arrived/disembarked at Auckland, NZ
August 28-31: Japanese Language Officer, D-2 Section, Second MarDiv., Wellington, NZ
September 1943: Headquarters Company, Japanese Language officer, D-2 Section, Wellington, NZ .
October 30, 1943: Headquarters Company, Japanese Language Officer, D-2 Section. Embarked 30 October with Hq Company at Wellington, NZ on board USS MONROVIA.
FIFTH MARINE AMPHIBIOUS CORPS, IN THE FIELD, SECOND MARDIV
November 7, 1943: on board USS MONROVIA, arrived E’fate, New Hebrides; participated in unit landing maneuvers, 8-12 November.
November 13, 1943: Sailed from E’fate; arrived Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands
November 20, 1943: Battle of Tarawa. At Betio Island, disembarked onto Amtrak; transferred to LCVP with Assistant Division Commander, Brigadier Gen. Leo D. Hermle recon team to land at Betio Main Pier. Ashore Betio November 20-23; Betio secured 23 November.
November 24, 1943 embarked on USS SHERIDAN for Hilo, Hawaii. Enroute conducted on-board interrogations of the 17 captured Tarawa POWs. Arrived Hilo 03 December.
December 4, 1943: Sailed from Hilo, arrived Pearl Harbor December 5, 1943; delivered the 17 Tarawa POWs to CINCPAC Prisoner of War Enclosure, Pearl Harbor.
January 1944: Stationed at Camp Tarawa, Kamuela, Hawaii Island, Headquarters Company, 5th Amphibious Corps.
February, March 1944: Assigned for temporary duty at CINCPAC Pearl Harbor; prepared two-volume illustrated report on Japanese military structures on Tarawa for CINCPAC and Second MarDiv.
April, 1944: Based at Camp Tarawa, Kamuela, Hawaii, preparing for next campaign, the Marianas Islands. Commuted between Kamuela and Honolulu to prepare and get propaganda leaflets and surrender passes printed for air-drop; arranged for issuance of portable, battery-operated loudspeakers; and equipping of a Jeep with and power generator and loudspeakers for beaming surrender appeals to Japanese troops and civilians.
May, 1944: With elements of D-2 Section, Second MarDiv, 13 May proceeded to Hilo Hawaii on board USS MONROVIA 14 May; Arrived Pearl Harbor, Oahu 19 May; and 30-31 May sailed from Pearl Harbor; bound for Saipan, Marianas Islands.
June, 1944: On USS MONROVIA at sea 1-8 June via stop at Eniwetok Atoll, Marshall Islands. June 9-11 permitted ashore for recreational swimming. June 11-14 at sea enroute to Saipan.
MARIANAS ISLANDS, SAIPAN and TINIAN
June 15, 1944: D-Day combat landing at Saipan; "participated in active operations against an organized enemy of the U.S., at Saipan, Marianas Islands".
July 24, 1944: Embarked on LST from Saipan for D-Day combat landing on Tinian. Landed on White Beach, North Tinian, July 25, 1944 "participated in active operations against an organized enemy of the U.S., at Tinian, Marianas Islands".
Mid-August 1994_through July 1945: From Tinian returned to Saipan, as Assistant D-2, Second MarDiv. Served in continuous mopping-up operations on Saipan for a year.
March, 1945: Embarked 16 March; sailed from Saipan on board USS NEWBERRY (APA-158). 17 March arrived at Tinian, took part in practice maneuvers 17 and 18 March; sailed 19 March, arriving back at Saipan. 19-26 March stationed on board ship at anchor Saipan; sailed 27 March from Saipan for Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands; 27-31 March 1945 on board APA-158 for diversionary landing action.
OKINAWA;
March/April 1945: Arrived Okinawa at the island’s opposite (East) coast to decoy the Japanese Command away from the actual intended landing areas of US forces on the West coast. Second Marine Division for three days was the Diversionary Force ostensibly sending troops shoreward on LVT’s and LCVP’s for assault landing. Marine units crossed the line of departure at 08:30 exactly the time of H-Hour of the actual landing on Okinawa’s West Coast After three days of false landing actions, APA-158 departed the decoy area; proceeded to the real landing site area.
April 1-10, 1945: APA-158 and Marines stood offshore as Floating Reserve support source for the Eighth Marine Regiment of Second MarDiv, which landed and served in the main ground attack force.
Note: Although the decoy landing was successful, it was not without cost and casualties. Convinced this was the main American landing, Japanese kamikaze aircraft struck, badly damaging troop transport USS HINSDALE and LST-844, both of which suffered casualties, dead and wounded.
April 1-10, 1945: Floating Reserve. Not required for land operations on Okinawa, most of the Second division remained on board APA-158; sailed from Okinawa for Saipan arriving April 14. Disembarked April 15, returned for duty with Division D-2; also temporary duty at Second Regiment HQ to help train language personnel.
Other Activity:
As language and security officer, assisted U.S. Navy Civil Affairs with re-establishment of Saipan’s prewar fishing fleet based at Garapan Harbor, Saipan.
While on garrison duty at Saipan, wrote descriptive report on Japanese and other civilians on the island, the censored text was released for publication as a magazine article. Titled "Civilians on Saipan", it was published during the war by the Far Eastern Survey, New York, in its May 9, 1945 issue.
Home Leave: July/August 1945
Accumulated Active Service Points totaling 91, was overdue for rotation; was assigned for Home Leave to Special Service Unit, 13th Reserve District, preparatory to invasion of Japan Homeland. At Pearl Harbor, embarked for transport to a Marine Base, San Diego on aircraft carrier USS MAKASSAR STRAIT (CVE-91). During daylight, August 14, 1945, just as the carrier was exiting Pearl Harbor channel, ship loudspeakers announced the end of WWII.
CVE-91arrived San Francisco, California 21 August 1945; disembarked and was detached to home. 20 September 1945, reported to U.S Marine Corps Headquarters, Marine Barracks, Navy Yard, Washington D.C. ; then onward travel 21 to 25 September to Boston Massachusetts, for enrollment at Harvard. Remained on leave status 26 September to 25 November while attending college classes. 25 November 1945, relieved from active duty; assigned to Special Service Unit, 13th Reserve District.
Return to Harvard,
Entered College Fall Term 1945, as a graduating Senior, Class of 1944. Graduated, BS Magna cum Laude, June 1946. Continued as a graduate student for Harvard University, two-year MA Degree, received June 1948.
Postwar Continued Service in USMC Reserve.
Promoted to Captain as of 15 August 1948: Promoted to Major, as of 01 January 1951. Served in the Standby Reserve from 10 October 1960; then in the Ready Reserve until 30 November 1961. (12th Marine Corps Reserve and Recruitment District (MCRRD) San Francisco. Active in Standby Reserve, Marin County, California until voluntary release 30 January 1963, at age 41.
Reserve status training operations in California included vertical envelopment practice by helicopter in 1956, and active participation in "Operation Sharkbite", a massive amphibious military exercise conducted along the coast of Marin County in early April 1960. Focus objective was defense of the Golden Gate Bridge.
More Recommended Reading:
Enlisted September, 1938: (age 16 ) Private, USMC Reserve, 14th Battalion, Spokane, Washington. Reserve service training sessions, weekly infantry drill, , occasional weekend rifle range target practice. September 1938 to October 1940.
Summer, 1939: Reserve duty at Bremerton Navy Yard, Puget Sound. Washington, Weapons training, mortars, grenades, rifle marksmanship. War-game maneuvers, across Olympic Mountain Range.
Summer, 1941: Felts Field, Spokane. Army Air Force Reserve pilot training completed, received Private Pilot License, single engine aircraft. Automatic enrollment in Army Air Force Reserve.
Received military call-up releases from USMC and Army Air Reserve for Harvard college education , starting Fall Term 1940.
Wartime Training:
December 1941: Harvard sophomore year, immediately after Pearl Harbor, recruited by US Navy Intelligence, Washington DC, for training as Japanese Language and Intelligence Officer. Received language training at University of California, Berkeley, February-June 1942, University of Colorado, Boulder,. July 1942 to January, 1943. Training status rank: Yeoman (Y2cV4) USNR, during year, 1942-43.
Commissioned: 2nd. Lieutenant, USMCR, rank from December 5, 1942
U.S Service/ training: Camp Elliot, Marine Base, San Diego 18 January to 15 April, 1943 Ground assault drill, weapons, and parachute practice.
Overseas Service: New Zealand and New Caledonia April--November1943
Appointed Assistant D-2, Second Marine Division, FMF. Promoted in the Field (at Saipan) to First Lieutenant, May 15, 1943
Campaigns: D-Day Landings:
Tarawa: November 1943; Saipan: June 1944; Tinian: July 1944.
Floating Reserve:
(At Okinawa) March, April 1945
Award; Commendation:
September 1, 1944: Recommended for Legion of Merit, “For exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service to the Government of the United States as a Japanese interpreter with the Division Intelligence Section, Second Marine Division on TARAWA, SAIPAN and TINIAN”… etc.
September 1, 1945, Awarded Bronze Star Medal with Combat V and Citation, (dated January, 1945, awarded at Saipan), “For heroic achievement in action against the enemy while serving as a Japanese Interpreter with the intelligence section of a Marine Division on Saipan and Tinian, Marianas islands, from 15 June 2 1 August 1944"…etc.
Officer Ranks/Promotions:
(Wartime) 2nd Lieutenant, from 05 December 1942; 1st Lieutenant, from 20 December 1943.
(Postwar) Captain, from 19 July 1948; Major, from 01 January 1951.
Military Travel:
January 14, 1943: Detached to Camp Elliott, San Diego. Joined Headquarters and Service Company, FMF, Training Center for training, mid-January through mid-March, 1943 in Officer Indoctrination School.
15-31 March, at US Naval Hospital, San Diego on sick leave (severe bronchitis).
Second Marine Division, 1st MAC FMF, In The Field:
April 1943: Returned to Officer Indoctrination School; joined 16th Replacement Battalion, served as Battalion Officer. 17 April embarked on troop transport, SS Lurline at San Diego. 18-26 April, enroute from San Diego to Tutuila Samoa. 28-30 April enroute from Samoa to Noumea, New Caledonia.
May 1943: As Battalion Officer; 01-02 May, enroute from Samoa to Noumea, New Caledonia; 03 May at Noumea; 04-08 May from Noumea to Melbourne, Australia; 09-10 at Melbourne; 11-14 May enroute to Wellington, New Zealand; disembarked 15 May.
16-21 May, joined First Marine Amphibious Corps (1st MAC) Headquarters Company, Division HQ Battalion, Division Special Troops, D-2 as Japanese Language Officer Interpreter; 22-31 May, on temporary duty at Noumea, interrogated POWs from Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. Translated documents and maps from sunken Japanese ships and a submarine (I-17).
From 31 May through 20 August 1943: Continued temporary duty, Noumea, at headquarters, 1st MAC. Japanese POW interrogation and document translation..
August 23, 1943: Embarked, sailed on board USS TALAMANCA. 26 August 1943 arrived/disembarked at Auckland, NZ
August 28-31: Japanese Language Officer, D-2 Section, Second MarDiv., Wellington, NZ
September 1943: Headquarters Company, Japanese Language officer, D-2 Section, Wellington, NZ .
October 30, 1943: Headquarters Company, Japanese Language Officer, D-2 Section. Embarked 30 October with Hq Company at Wellington, NZ on board USS MONROVIA.
FIFTH MARINE AMPHIBIOUS CORPS, IN THE FIELD, SECOND MARDIV
November 7, 1943: on board USS MONROVIA, arrived E’fate, New Hebrides; participated in unit landing maneuvers, 8-12 November.
November 13, 1943: Sailed from E’fate; arrived Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands
November 20, 1943: Battle of Tarawa. At Betio Island, disembarked onto Amtrak; transferred to LCVP with Assistant Division Commander, Brigadier Gen. Leo D. Hermle recon team to land at Betio Main Pier. Ashore Betio November 20-23; Betio secured 23 November.
November 24, 1943 embarked on USS SHERIDAN for Hilo, Hawaii. Enroute conducted on-board interrogations of the 17 captured Tarawa POWs. Arrived Hilo 03 December.
December 4, 1943: Sailed from Hilo, arrived Pearl Harbor December 5, 1943; delivered the 17 Tarawa POWs to CINCPAC Prisoner of War Enclosure, Pearl Harbor.
January 1944: Stationed at Camp Tarawa, Kamuela, Hawaii Island, Headquarters Company, 5th Amphibious Corps.
February, March 1944: Assigned for temporary duty at CINCPAC Pearl Harbor; prepared two-volume illustrated report on Japanese military structures on Tarawa for CINCPAC and Second MarDiv.
April, 1944: Based at Camp Tarawa, Kamuela, Hawaii, preparing for next campaign, the Marianas Islands. Commuted between Kamuela and Honolulu to prepare and get propaganda leaflets and surrender passes printed for air-drop; arranged for issuance of portable, battery-operated loudspeakers; and equipping of a Jeep with and power generator and loudspeakers for beaming surrender appeals to Japanese troops and civilians.
May, 1944: With elements of D-2 Section, Second MarDiv, 13 May proceeded to Hilo Hawaii on board USS MONROVIA 14 May; Arrived Pearl Harbor, Oahu 19 May; and 30-31 May sailed from Pearl Harbor; bound for Saipan, Marianas Islands.
June, 1944: On USS MONROVIA at sea 1-8 June via stop at Eniwetok Atoll, Marshall Islands. June 9-11 permitted ashore for recreational swimming. June 11-14 at sea enroute to Saipan.
MARIANAS ISLANDS, SAIPAN and TINIAN
June 15, 1944: D-Day combat landing at Saipan; "participated in active operations against an organized enemy of the U.S., at Saipan, Marianas Islands".
July 24, 1944: Embarked on LST from Saipan for D-Day combat landing on Tinian. Landed on White Beach, North Tinian, July 25, 1944 "participated in active operations against an organized enemy of the U.S., at Tinian, Marianas Islands".
Mid-August 1994_through July 1945: From Tinian returned to Saipan, as Assistant D-2, Second MarDiv. Served in continuous mopping-up operations on Saipan for a year.
March, 1945: Embarked 16 March; sailed from Saipan on board USS NEWBERRY (APA-158). 17 March arrived at Tinian, took part in practice maneuvers 17 and 18 March; sailed 19 March, arriving back at Saipan. 19-26 March stationed on board ship at anchor Saipan; sailed 27 March from Saipan for Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands; 27-31 March 1945 on board APA-158 for diversionary landing action.
OKINAWA;
March/April 1945: Arrived Okinawa at the island’s opposite (East) coast to decoy the Japanese Command away from the actual intended landing areas of US forces on the West coast. Second Marine Division for three days was the Diversionary Force ostensibly sending troops shoreward on LVT’s and LCVP’s for assault landing. Marine units crossed the line of departure at 08:30 exactly the time of H-Hour of the actual landing on Okinawa’s West Coast After three days of false landing actions, APA-158 departed the decoy area; proceeded to the real landing site area.
April 1-10, 1945: APA-158 and Marines stood offshore as Floating Reserve support source for the Eighth Marine Regiment of Second MarDiv, which landed and served in the main ground attack force.
Note: Although the decoy landing was successful, it was not without cost and casualties. Convinced this was the main American landing, Japanese kamikaze aircraft struck, badly damaging troop transport USS HINSDALE and LST-844, both of which suffered casualties, dead and wounded.
April 1-10, 1945: Floating Reserve. Not required for land operations on Okinawa, most of the Second division remained on board APA-158; sailed from Okinawa for Saipan arriving April 14. Disembarked April 15, returned for duty with Division D-2; also temporary duty at Second Regiment HQ to help train language personnel.
Other Activity:
As language and security officer, assisted U.S. Navy Civil Affairs with re-establishment of Saipan’s prewar fishing fleet based at Garapan Harbor, Saipan.
While on garrison duty at Saipan, wrote descriptive report on Japanese and other civilians on the island, the censored text was released for publication as a magazine article. Titled "Civilians on Saipan", it was published during the war by the Far Eastern Survey, New York, in its May 9, 1945 issue.
Home Leave: July/August 1945
Accumulated Active Service Points totaling 91, was overdue for rotation; was assigned for Home Leave to Special Service Unit, 13th Reserve District, preparatory to invasion of Japan Homeland. At Pearl Harbor, embarked for transport to a Marine Base, San Diego on aircraft carrier USS MAKASSAR STRAIT (CVE-91). During daylight, August 14, 1945, just as the carrier was exiting Pearl Harbor channel, ship loudspeakers announced the end of WWII.
CVE-91arrived San Francisco, California 21 August 1945; disembarked and was detached to home. 20 September 1945, reported to U.S Marine Corps Headquarters, Marine Barracks, Navy Yard, Washington D.C. ; then onward travel 21 to 25 September to Boston Massachusetts, for enrollment at Harvard. Remained on leave status 26 September to 25 November while attending college classes. 25 November 1945, relieved from active duty; assigned to Special Service Unit, 13th Reserve District.
Return to Harvard,
Entered College Fall Term 1945, as a graduating Senior, Class of 1944. Graduated, BS Magna cum Laude, June 1946. Continued as a graduate student for Harvard University, two-year MA Degree, received June 1948.
Postwar Continued Service in USMC Reserve.
Promoted to Captain as of 15 August 1948: Promoted to Major, as of 01 January 1951. Served in the Standby Reserve from 10 October 1960; then in the Ready Reserve until 30 November 1961. (12th Marine Corps Reserve and Recruitment District (MCRRD) San Francisco. Active in Standby Reserve, Marin County, California until voluntary release 30 January 1963, at age 41.
Reserve status training operations in California included vertical envelopment practice by helicopter in 1956, and active participation in "Operation Sharkbite", a massive amphibious military exercise conducted along the coast of Marin County in early April 1960. Focus objective was defense of the Golden Gate Bridge.
More Recommended Reading:
