HomeMy WebLinkAboutRobert Luther Sanders, Brazos Valley Heroes 4. '
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Robert ..
Luther C.
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l The aircraft carrier USS Enterprise and its pation of Guadalcanal in August of 1942.
escorting task force of three heavy cruisers and six "I was transferred from the Enterprise to the
destroyers were delayed in their return to Hawaii from amphibious landing force to help set up radio com- .'.
Wake Island. On the way back, they were caught in a munications and to relay messages to the pilot$ about
huge storm and were overdue by 24 hours. The targets to attack. Before the Marines went ashore, I Iti
Enterprise had launched its planes without ammo and was privileged to be in a large prayer group of
just enough fuel to land at Ford Island, Hawaii, when Marines who were to storm the beach the next day.
a radio message came in plain language and not the They had an unshakable faith in God. I was encour-
usual five - letter code. One of the radio men on duty aged by their faith. My scary moment occurred when i
that morning was Robert Luther Sanders. I was transferred back to the Enterprise while the ;_
"The message was 'Japanese planes are attack - ships were underway in a Boatswain Chair. It was a
ing Pearl Harbor - this is no drill.' It was repeated sev- thrilling moment." ` -
eral times. We immediately notified the captain, who The Enterprise was hit several times by enemy �.
changed our course because we were not ready for a bombs and narrowly missed by several Kamikaze
sea battle. The planes we launched without ammo attacks. g.,
were not aware of what was happening and came "One of the Kamikaze planes hit the stack, leav-
under attack. Some were shot down by our own con- ing the left wing on our flight deck. I kept a piece of
fused forces on the ground. that wing for several years until I lost it in one of our '�
"When we arrived at Pearl that night, the ships moves."
in the harbor were a mass of burning and twisted During one attack when a bomb hit the '
metal. They were still fishing bodies out of the water. Enterprise, one sailor's body who could not be identi -'
It was not a pleasant sight. We worked through the tied was listed as Sanders until someone realized he
night taking on supplies, fuel and ammo and left had survived the attack.
before daylight because the Japanese had reported "All of the bodies were buried at sea as quickly N':: '
that they had sunk the Enterprise. Our government as possible, with one body being used for a formal
wanted them to continue to think that, so my brother, burial at sea ceremony, which was intended for all
who was also aboard, and I were reported as killed in who were killed and buried at sea."
action. It was three months before our family was During the war the Enterprise had 371 men
informed that we were alive. killed but shot down 911 enemy planes. Her aircraft „
"Our first battle was the Battle of Midway on sank 71 enemy ships and she earned 20 battle stars
June 4 -6, 1942. It was the most important battle of out of a possible 22 in the Pacific theater. Also, the
the war because it was the first victory for the U.S. Enterprise played a big part in the sinking of every ':
. and was the beginning of the end for Japan. Although ship that attacked Pearl Harbor, except one.
H. we suffered losses, the carrier Lexington and over a After Sanders' discharge in 1946 he attended .
hundred planes, the Japanese lost four carriers, a Freewill Baptist Bible College in Tennessee and
heavy cruiser, all 275 planes on the four carriers and became a minister. He served as a minister and mis-
approximately 3,500 Japanese seamen." sionary around the country and globe until he retired 0:
Later that month Sanders was on the flight deck to College Station.
.7;iiii of the Enterprise watching General Doolittle's 16 B- "I was proud of the Enterprise and the role she
25's fly off the deck of the aircraft carrier Hornet, played in the war and I am proud to have served
' which had joined them from the U. S. That flight was aboard her. To God be the Glory." Amen, Reverend .
the first bombing run on the Japanese homeland. Sanders. Amen.
Those bombers and crews were either shot down, ' Reverend Sanders' name can be found on the
' crashed, at sea or landed on the China coast. There Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial. For more informa-
. was to be no returning to the Hornet or to America tion, to make a contribution, or to nominate a veter-
when they took off, and they knew it. an, contact the BVVM at www.veterans
The next engagement for Sanders was the occu- memarial.org, or Bill Youngkin at 979- 260 -7030. i
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