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Robert Elmer Yunk, Sr.
Lilah Crowe2020-10-18T11:02:48-05:00
- Name: Robert Elmer Yunk Sr.
- Location of Birth: Swan River, Minnesota
- Date of Birth: June 13, 1922
- Date of Death: April 15, 1994 (71 years old)
- Parents: Felix Leo Yunk and Ruth Edna (Francisco) Yunk
- High School and Class:
- College:
- Highest Rank:
- Branch: Navy
- Other Branch:
- Date Sworn In: June 30, 1942 (Registration Date)
- Place Sworn In:
- Date of Discharge:
- Place of Discharge:
-
- Military Awards:
- Military Highlights:
Information from World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947:
Name: Robert Elmer Yunk
Gender: Male
Race: White
Age: 20
Relationship to Draftee: Self (Head)
Birth Date: June 13, 1922
Birth Place: Swan River, Minnesota, USA
Residence Place: Deer River, Itasca County, Minnesota
Registration Date: June 30, 1942
Registration Place: Deer River, Itasca, Minnesota, USA
Weight: 185
Complexion: Dark
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Brown
Height: 6' 1"
Next of Kin: Felix Yunk
Household members: Robert Elmer Yunk
Relationship: Self (Head)
Mailing Address: Inger Route, Deer River, Minnesota
Name and Address of Person Who Will Always Know Your Address: Mrs. Felix Yunk, Inger Route, Deer River, Minnesota
Employer's Name and Address: None at present
Place of Employment or Business: Same as above
Information taken from United States World War II Navy Muster Rolls, 1938-1949:
Muster Date: December 14, 1941, December 31, 1941, January 31, 1942, March 31, 1942, June 30, 1942, and September 30, 1942
Ship, Station or Activity: Chicago*
Ship Number or Designation: CA 29
*The USS Chicago was a Northampton-class cruiser of the United States Navy that served in the Pacific Theater in the early years of World War II. After surviving a midget submarine attack at Sydney Harbour and serving in battle at the Coral Sea and Savo Island in 1942, she was sunk by Japanese aerial torpedoes in the Battle of Rennell Island, in the Solomon Islands, on January 30, 1932.
Muster Date: May 31, 1943
Ship, Station or Activity: Wyoming**
Ship Number or Designation: AG-17
**The USS Wyoming performed her normal duties as a gunnery training ship with the Operational Training Command, United States Atlantic Fleet starting in February, 1942. She operated primarily in the Chesapeake Bay area, and frequent sightings of the ship steaming around the bay earned her the nickname "Chesapeake Raider". The ship was very busy training thousands of anti-aircraft gunners on weapons ranging from light .50 caliber (12.7 mm) guns to medium-caliber 5-inch guns for rapidly expanding American fleet. Early in the war, the Navy briefly considered converting Wyoming back to her battleship configuration, but decided against the plan. Over the course of the war, Wyoming trained an estimated 35,000 gunners on seven different types of guns. Due to her extensive use as a gunnery training ship, she claimed the distinction of firing more ammunition than any other ship in the fleet during the war.
Muster Dates: June 9, 1943, June 30, 1943, September 30, 1943, November 19, 1943, December 31, 1943, March 31, 1944, April 17, 1944, June 30, 1944, September 30, 1944, December 31, 1944, March 31, 1945, July 1, 1945, October 1, 1945, and November 1, 1945
Ship, Station or Activity: Daniel T. Griffin
Ship Number of Designation: DE-54/APD-38***
***The USS Daniel T. Griffin was a Buckley-class destroyer escort of the United States Navy and named in honor of Ordnanceman Daniel T. Griffin (1911-1941), who was killed in action during the Japanese attack on the Hawaiian Islands. After a voyage escorting a convoy to Casablanca, French Morocco, between August 15 and September 24, 1943, Daniel T. Griffin took up convoy duty between New York and Northern Ireland, making eight transatlantic voyages between October 13, 1943 and September 23, 1944. She arrived at Staten Island, New York on October 22nd for a conversion to a Charles Lawrence-class high speed transport. She was reclassified APD-38 on October 23, 1944. On January 13, 1945, Daniel T. Griffin sailed from Norfolk and arrived at Pearl Harbor on February 6th to serve with Underwater Demolition Teams. She cleared on February 14th on convoy duty to Ulithi and Kossol Passage, then arrived at San Pedro Bay, Leyte on March 5th for invasion rehearsals off Hononhan Island. On March 19th, she got underway for Kerama Retto, arriving on March 26th. During the assault on Okinawa, she screened ships at Kerama Retto and swept mines, delivered explosives to the Okinawa beaches, and then acted as rescue ship until May 18th. On April 6th, she fought off several suicide attacks destroying at least two enemy planes. When the destroyer Morris (DD-417) was hit, Daniel T. Griffin protected her against further attack, assisted in putting out her fires, and escorted her into Kerama Retto. Daniel T. Griffin served on local escort duty at Saipan between May 20 and June 19, 1945, then escorted a convoy back to Okinawa, and another from Okinawa to Ulithi. On July 11th, she arrived in San Pedro Bay, Leyte, for varied duty in the Philippines until September 22nd, when she sailed with occupation troops to Kure, Japan, landing her passengers from October 6-11th. Returning to Manila on October 16th, she redeployed troops in the Philippines until December 2nd when she sailed for the United States.
- Wars Involved:
World War II
- MIA / POW:
- Civilian Life:
Robert lived in the Grand Rapids, Minnesota area before moving to Orlando, Florida in 1972.
He was a retired carpenter and also an employee of S.F.I. Security Company.
Robert was a member of St. John's Presbyterian Church in Orlando, Florida and the Elks Club of Live Oak, Florida.
He is survived by his wife, Ruth; two sons, Robert E. Jr. and Ronald; four daughters, Patricia Sticker, Carol Klepper, Mary Weaver, and Beverly Gengler; five brothers, Martin, James, Bill, Fred, and Ed; one sister, Dorothy Stoeke; thirteen grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Robert was cremated.
- Tribal Affiliation(s):
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