Robert Till's sister, Jean Alpin, 78, was 11 at the time he was killed. When she was notified of his body's identification, she searched for and found Lee in Hendersonville, North Carolina. She said "Airplanes and flying, that was his passion."
Until 2008, he was one of 78,000 World War II veterans still marked as missing.
Vicki had mourned the loss of her love, but later married Robert E. Lee for 53 years until he died. He was to return from duty on Christmas 1941 and they were to be married. There was no wedding.
Till's remains were buried March 23, 2009, in Arlington National Cemetery and Lee planned to attend. Both women sat together at the ceremony. Ensign Till is buried in Section 60, Site 8998.
In 1943, a Navy destroyer escort, the USS Till (DE-748) was named after him. It provided escort duty to convoys during World War II then became a training vessel before being sunk in a training exercise of the US east coast in 1969.
These Are Good Stories. --DaCoot
Showing posts with label sea planes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sea planes. Show all posts
Thursday, May 26, 2011
World War II Pilot's Remains Found-- Part 1
From the Dec. 27, 2008, Raleigh (NC) News & Observer.
Vicki Quandt Lee was 22 when she learned Navy Ensign Robert G. Tills had been killed in the Philippines when his plane was shot down in Malalog Bay, Dec. 8, 1941, right at the outbreak of hostilities between the US and Japan.
They had first met as students at Northwestern College in Watertown, Wis., in 1936. Tills eventually transferred to another college and then joined the Navy.
They wrote often and planned to marry when he returned to the US in December, 1941.
On December 8, 1941, nine Japanese planes swooped down on Malalog Bay in the Philippines and strafed and sank two US Navy PBY-4 Catalina seaplanes. All crew members escaped except Ensign Robert George Tills of Manitowac, Wisconsin. He became the first US Naval officer killed in the Philippines.
His body was never recovered, but family members always thought Fillipinos had recovered it and buried him somewhere.
However, the plane was found in October 2007 and his remains determined through dental records on Dec. 1, 2008.
More to Come. --Cooter
Vicki Quandt Lee was 22 when she learned Navy Ensign Robert G. Tills had been killed in the Philippines when his plane was shot down in Malalog Bay, Dec. 8, 1941, right at the outbreak of hostilities between the US and Japan.
They had first met as students at Northwestern College in Watertown, Wis., in 1936. Tills eventually transferred to another college and then joined the Navy.
They wrote often and planned to marry when he returned to the US in December, 1941.
On December 8, 1941, nine Japanese planes swooped down on Malalog Bay in the Philippines and strafed and sank two US Navy PBY-4 Catalina seaplanes. All crew members escaped except Ensign Robert George Tills of Manitowac, Wisconsin. He became the first US Naval officer killed in the Philippines.
His body was never recovered, but family members always thought Fillipinos had recovered it and buried him somewhere.
However, the plane was found in October 2007 and his remains determined through dental records on Dec. 1, 2008.
More to Come. --Cooter
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