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The Last Crew Member
By Rickey Robertson
Even though World War II ended in 1945, there are still so many untold stories that need to be told before all the servicemen of this era are gone. Bobbie Robertson was born in Sabine Parish in the Peason Community on June 14, 1923, to Mr. And Mrs. O.A. Robertson. Bobbie was energetic and well mannered, interested in engines and mechanics, and a young man who liked to pick his guitar and sing the songs of that era. He attended Plainview High School and graduated in 1942. In 1943 he enlisted in the Army Air Corps because he was always interested in airplanes. He told his younger brother Bud that he joined to fight so that his little brother would not have to and that he would always have freedoms that other peoples in the world did not have.
Bobbie became a crew member on a B-24 Heavy Bomber. His training included gunnery at Las Vegas, Nevada; crew training was at Mountain Home Army Air Base, Idaho, and finally Keesler Army Air Base in Biloxi Mississippi where he trained to be a crew chief and flight engineer on a B-24 bomber. The demands for more bomber squadrons overseas led to his assignment to the 780th Bombardment Squadron of the 465th Bombardment Group, 55th Bomb Wing, which was attached to the 15th Air Force in Italy. This unit entered combat on May 5, 1944 and served as a strategic bombardment organization until April 1945, as the war came to an end.
Bobbie Robertson was a member of this famous group and was on his first bombing mission on October 11, 1944 when 22 aircraft were launched and took off to attack Vienna Austria. Since it was Bobbie's bomber crews first combat mission, they were split up among aircrews that had been on previous bombing missions so that they would be flying with a veteran crews. Bobbie was flying in the number 2 position and his buddy and tent mate Joseph " Joe" Kling was flying in the B-24 in the 4th position, right behind Bobbie's plane. During the bombing attack 2 aircraft were shot down with one of these aircraft being the B-24 that Sgt. Bobbie Robertson was flying on. The plane was hit near the bomb bay with flak and began to break up and burn. Other bombers counted from 4 to 9 parachutes leaving this burning aircraft .As the aircraft was hit, the crew members began bailing out with assistance of Sgt Bobbie Robertson. Seven of the crew members were killed in action and 3 were captured. The last 3 to parachute out survived and were captured by the Germans.
So Bobbie Robertson, the young man from Sabine Parish, was killed in action on October 11, 1944. For many months he and his crew were listed as missing in action, with all his mail being returned to his family marked "Missing in Action". It was not until hostilities ended and the 3 members of the crew captured by the Germans were released from their POW camp, were the details of the death of the crew brought forth. The 7 dead Americans were buried by the Germans in the area around Vienna Austria. It was not until 1950 that Sgt. Bobbie Robertson's father, O.A. Robertson, got enough money together, and went through the U.S. government and had his son's remains brought back to the U.S. for burial. In 1950 Sgt. Robertson's remains were brought into Many La. by rail with a funeral and burial service held then at Mt. Carmel Baptist Church, where he was buried in the church cemetery.
Bobbie's father and mother passed away and never had any real answers to their son's death. But Bobbie's nephew, Rickey Robertson began to try and find out information. In 1985 he contacted the Personnel Records Section in St. Louis Missouri in an attempt to find any information that might be on file. He was advised that even after 41 years the mission had not been declassified and he could not obtain any information. For nearly 3 years Rickey stayed in contact with the government and was finally able to get the mission declassified in 1988. He was able to obtain missing air crew reports, after action reports, bombing mission reports, and other tidbits of information. But there was no actual person named that could be contacted.
From 1988 until 2005 Rickey could find no further information. But in 2005 he was able to contact Bob Blier, president of the 780th Bomb Squadron Association. Mr. Blier did not know Sgt. Robertson personally but advised Rickey he was eligible to join the organization due to his uncle's service in the 780th. Rickey and his wife Patsy joined and were able to start getting "Flightline" the newsletter of the organization. Even though it only came out intermittently, Rickey scanned the newsletter for any information he could. Stories came out on many of the 780th missions, but never on the October 11, 1944 mission. But in one last attempt, Rickey wrote to Flightline and asked if any of the surviving members of the squadron if they might have information. About 3 weeks after the Flightline issue came out, Rickey received a letter from Walled Lake, Michigan. He opened the letter, and lo and behold, it was from the last surviving member of the B-24 crew on which Bobbie Robertson was assigned ! Joseph J. Kling had served with Bobbie and was a B-24 nose gunner. He had given Rickey his phone number and Rickey made contact with Joe. It was an emotional talk over the phone with Joe, who had witnessed the B-24 Bobbie Robertson was on get hit and the crew starting to bail out. Joe advised he had a 780th Bomb Squadron yearbook and that he would send it to Rickey in memory of his uncle and this book would keep the story of the crew alive. After several phone calls it was found that the 780th Bomb Squadron would have their 39th reunion in September 2010 in Biloxi, Ms. where many of the men had trained. Joe and Rickey made plans to attend so that they could meet each other.
Early in the morning of September 15, 2010 Rickey and Patsy headed to Biloxi to attend the reunion. After checking in they headed to the convention area where the 780th reunion was to take place. As Rickey reached for the door an elderly man wearing a 780th Bomb Squadron hat came out the door. Rickey's wife Patsy said, "Rickey it's Joe Kling"! as she saw his name tag . And there was the last surviving member of Bobbie Robertson's crew. A very tearful reunion took place right there!!!
Rickey and Patsy had brought a large display of photographs of historical memorabilia in honor and memory of Bobbie Robertson, along with handouts of World War II information. Joe Kling introduced each World War II veteran to Rickey. Each man and his family opened their arms up to Rickey and Patsy and took them into the 780th family. Rickey and Joe were able to sit down for an interview later in the day and he was able to tell Rickey of his uncle. Joe had joined the B-24 crew Bobbie Robertson was on at Mountain Home Army Air Base in Idaho as the nose gunner. He had lived and had flown with Bobbie and the rest of the crew from that day until he was discharged in 1945. The crew and many other's departed Newport News Virginia in August 1944 and after 28 days in a troop convoy, arrived in Italy on September 1, 1944. They moved into tents at Pantanella Air Base, with the 6 enlisted men living together in a tent and the officers in another. Joe said that the crew was briefed and continued to train before being assigned to a combat mission. On October 11, 1944 they were assigned to their first combat mission. Since they had never flown a combat mission, each crewman was assigned to fly with a different crew. After being awaken at 3 a.m. for breakfast and the flight briefing the squadron took off to bomb one of the toughest targets, Vienna Austria. Flying at 22 thousand feet the squadron and rest of the bomb group were in range of over 200 German flak guns for nearly 18 minutes. Joe Kling was flying nose gunner in the plane directly behind his friend, Bobbie Robertson. Just after "bomb's away" Bobbie's plane was hit right in the bomb bay area by a burst of flak. Joe Kling, flying 100 feet to the rear of Bobbie's plane, saw the shell burst and the B-24 begin to break up. Joe saw 3 men bail out as the plane began to fall and then he lost sight of it. The tail gunner on Joe's plane saw 4 more men bail out before they lost sight of the stricken plane. Upon arrival Joe and the men in the plane he was flying were debriefed and gave the intelligence officers information on what they saw. Sadly Joe and the other men of Bobbie's original crew made it back to their tent area. Joe told of what a sad day it was to have lost his friend on their very first mission. Several days later the First Sergeant came into their tent and began packing Bobbie's personal items in his footlocker for shipment back to his family, and Joe Kling assisted. Today, I still have this footlocker and all its items just as it was received by the family in 1944. Joe Kling and the rest of Bobbie's original crew flew a total of 35 combat missions and all survived the war. Never knowing that Bobbie's family had never received any personal information about his death they returned home and started a new life. Joe returned to Michigan and was a barber for nearly 65 years. He became the last surviving crew member.
In meeting Joe Kling, Rickey Robertson had met his uncle's friend, his comrade, and crew-mate and had gotten answers to all the many questions left unanswered since 1944 by his family. Since 2010 Joe and Rickey keep in close touch with one another. They called each other and wrote on a very regular basis. Joe continued to share his memories of his 35 combat missions with Rickey. On July 20, 2014 Joe celebrated his 97th birthday with some family and friends near Warren, Michigan. Joe sent me one last souvenir of World War II, a piece of shrapnel that had almost hit him in the B24. But Joe was starting to feel sick and could not walk as he once did and he entered the hospital for treatment. He picked up for a few days, but his health condition began to worsen. On August 20, 2014, Janie MacKenzie, one of Joe's closest friends, called and told me that Joe had passed away. The last crewman of Bobbie Robertson's B-24 crew had passed away. Joe had one last flight to make and he has now rejoined his old crew who had gone on before him. Don't you know that was a great reunion in Heaven ! All the old crewmen are now back together for all eternity.
As I write this story I remember my old friend and his stories. But most of all, I can say that I had the pleasure and blessing to have met one of the last few remaining members of the "Greatest Generation" who fought and defeated Hitler's armies.Yes, I can say these men and women are truly one of America's treasures but slowly leaving us as each World War II veteran passes away. Enjoy them while you can. And yes, they are the Greatest Generation!
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Rickey Robertson meeting Joe Kling at the reunion of the 780th Bomb Squadron in 2010. (Rickey Robertson Collection)
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Joe Kling and Rickey Robertson at the reunion of the 780th Bomb Squadron in Biloxi, Mississippi in 2010. (Rickey Robertson Collection)
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B-24 crew of Bobbie Robertson. Standing Bob Fromkin, Don Ostrand, Evert Kron, Tony DeRose. Kneeling John Kushner, Joe Kling, George Lawson, Charles Gill, Joe Kruger, and Bobbie Robertson (KIA). (Rickey Robertson Collection)
Staff Sergeant Joe Kling standing in front of his B-24 bomber. He was nose gunner on the bomber. (Rickey Robertson Collection)
15th Air Force B-24 dropping bombs on German targets during World War II. (Rickey Robertson Collection)
B-24 heavy bomber taking off on a mission in World War II. (Rickey Robertson Collection)
Rickey Robertson holding the 780th Squadron yearbook and piece of shrapnel given him by Joe Kling. (Rickey Robertson Collection)