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Tug LT 218 155' Uniflow steam tug Bob Schoen's first vessel for his USCG war-time duty in the South Pacific. Click image to enlarge. A photo from his estate. Donated to the Saltwater People Historical Society© |
"War Years" by Robert Schoen
In 1946 he was married and sailing Chantey to a new home on Orcas Island, San Juan Archipelago, WA. He lived the rest of his life with a home base of Clam Harbor, West Sound, Orcas Island, San Juan Archipelago, WA.
"My name is Robert F. Schoen, pronounced Shane. I lived in Seattle at 10th and Ravennna Blvd. I went to University Heights grade school, John Marshall Jr High, and Roosevelt High School, graduated 1936, and the University of Washington (the war intervened.) When I went to high school we were living in the Kirkland area of the east side of Lake Washington, Holmes Pt. Drive. I was boat CRAZY.
During high school I met John Adams and Anchor Jensen, we all had a love of sailing. Bill Garden was our mentor and teacher. Jack Kutz, John Adams, and I, all had 28 ft. boats. Kutz had a gaff-headed cutter, John had a clinker double-ended teak lifeboat schooner, and I had a v-bottom John Hannah ketch, gaff main, marconi mizzen.
We were out cruising every moment we could get away, winter and summer. We learned to sail our boats well. I joined the Coast Guard on August 1, 1941. Kutz went into the Navy, and Adams finished his architecture at the U of WA, then entered the Navy as an officer.
My boating experience served me well. I went into the Coast Guard because I wanted to work in small boats. I was stationed in West Seattle after 7 December 1941. I was made Chief Boatswain Mate before I was transferred from Seattle to California, 1942. From Government Island, Oakland, CA., we were sent to Borneo. Several weeks later we arrived at Hollandia for our assignment vessel, a 155-foot Uniflow steam Tug, LT 218.
We were in the invasion of the Philipines, towing three barges of aviation gas to White Beach, near Tacloban.
I had never seen so many ships of every kind, over 10,000 boats, rather exciting. Our tug broke down when we returned to Hollandia. It looked like it would be a long wait. I opted to take a transfer and went to Samar and duty on a U.S. Army F, boat at a P.T. base. We followed behind the P.T. boats as they strafed the Japanese-held islands. We supplied fuel and ammo and at times carried Japanese prisoners back to the base at Samar.
We stopped at Iloilo, where the Army was mopping up the Japanese soldiers in the village. We were across a river away from the fighting. From there we went to Zamboango and waited for an escort to take us to BallyPan, Borneo.
I met Jack Kutz in Hollandia. He was on a seaplane tender there. It was great to see him, someone from HOME, an old friend.
From Hollandia I went to Manilla where the Philippine sailors took over the boat. In Manilla we boarded a transport for San Francisco, and then home by train to Seattle. November 19, 1945, I was discharged from the Coast Guard. It was a great experience to be in the Coast Guard and I am proud of it."
We were out cruising every moment we could get away, winter and summer. We learned to sail our boats well. I joined the Coast Guard on August 1, 1941. Kutz went into the Navy, and Adams finished his architecture at the U of WA, then entered the Navy as an officer.
My boating experience served me well. I went into the Coast Guard because I wanted to work in small boats. I was stationed in West Seattle after 7 December 1941. I was made Chief Boatswain Mate before I was transferred from Seattle to California, 1942. From Government Island, Oakland, CA., we were sent to Borneo. Several weeks later we arrived at Hollandia for our assignment vessel, a 155-foot Uniflow steam Tug, LT 218.
We were in the invasion of the Philipines, towing three barges of aviation gas to White Beach, near Tacloban.
I had never seen so many ships of every kind, over 10,000 boats, rather exciting. Our tug broke down when we returned to Hollandia. It looked like it would be a long wait. I opted to take a transfer and went to Samar and duty on a U.S. Army F, boat at a P.T. base. We followed behind the P.T. boats as they strafed the Japanese-held islands. We supplied fuel and ammo and at times carried Japanese prisoners back to the base at Samar.
We stopped at Iloilo, where the Army was mopping up the Japanese soldiers in the village. We were across a river away from the fighting. From there we went to Zamboango and waited for an escort to take us to BallyPan, Borneo.
I met Jack Kutz in Hollandia. He was on a seaplane tender there. It was great to see him, someone from HOME, an old friend.
From Hollandia I went to Manilla where the Philippine sailors took over the boat. In Manilla we boarded a transport for San Francisco, and then home by train to Seattle. November 19, 1945, I was discharged from the Coast Guard. It was a great experience to be in the Coast Guard and I am proud of it."
