Robert Lee Christy, Electrician's Mate 2/c, born Sept. 25, 1923, Gaston, IN; graduated high school and joined the USN May 18, 1943.  He was stationed at Great Lakes for boot camp and Electric School and Treasure Island, Gyro School.
     Memorable experiences include seeing a Japanese plane hit them on April 1, 1945; and doing a lot of electric repair to the side of the ship.
     Discharged Dec. 11, 1945, with the rank of electrician's mate 2/c.  Awards include American Area Campaign Medal, Navy Unit Citations, WWII Victory Medal, Asiatic-Pacific w/4 stars and the Philippine Liberation w/2 stars.
     He and his wife, Jo Ann (Nelson), have three children and four grandchildren.  He worked for Warner Gear for 30 years and owns and farms 100 acres.  He enjoys travel and has seen all 50 states.

Reprinted with permission from Turner Publishing

USS West Virginia veterans Robert Christy (left) and Tony Reiter at the Battleships Reunion in Moline, IL in October, 2001.

Photo by Dan Videtech of The Dispatch and The Rock Island Argus.