by:
Margaret Jones
World
War II torpedo bomber fighter pilot, Mr Robert Roy III, invited Pembroke
Community Media's Robert Kopper Show cast and crew into his Pembroke home on
April 9th to make a video about war-time experiences and memorabilia. Both the
show and 1½ minute promotional short now are playing at www.pembrokecommunitymedia.com.
Roy left
Harvard University freshman year to join the service, having been impressed by
an active-duty pilot in full uniform visiting area high schools.
"Only an 18-yr-old would think it fun to
go to war," said Roy. "It was pretty shrewd of them to send a guy in
uniform around to impress us kids."
Roy's
mother Lydia in Wollaston signed the enlistment papers in 1942, and off he went
to Florida for flight training which began with Piper Cubs and progressed to
torpedo bombers.
"We
changed the city's name to Fort Liquordade," joked Roy. "We could do what we wanted there."
Roy flew
night missions and had to be familiar with his plane's "dashboard" in
the dark. Blindfold exercises confirmed
expertise.
On one
particular mission, Roy's instructions were to fly out 300 miles, spend 3 hours
bombing the target, then find and return to a darkened ship that had moved 100
miles from it’s original position.
After
the war, Roy returned to Harvard to earn a Bachelor of Science degree.
He
joined the reserves, and later served another 2 years state-side at Quonset Point,
Rhode Island during the Korean War.
This
historic presentation is a "must-see" for anyone who enjoys World War
Two shows.
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Pembroke
Community Media has no affiliation with Comcast or pactv. It is run by volunteer
moms, dads, and children who live in Pembroke, with funding from local
businesses and viewers like you. It is a
Commonwealth of Massachusetts non-profit, IRS tax-exempt, 501(c)(3)
organization. All support is 100% tax-deductible. 
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