Robert Gedlinske
AOM2 U.S. Navy
1943-1946 WWII
Robert (Bob) E. Gedlinske, an Iowa City resident from 1958 – 2016, served in the US Navy, and reached the rank of Aviation Ordnanceman 2C.
Bob enlisted in the US Navy in June, 1943. His initial training was at Great Lakes Training Center until July, 1944, followed by Aviation Ordnance School training in Norman, Oklahoma until February, 1945. Then he went to Bomb Disposal School in Washington, DC through August, 1945.
Bob was assigned to MEIU #1 Bomb Disposal Unit, and traveled to Japan at the end of WWII, leaving from San Francisco Navy Yard. His ship headed first to Hawaii and then to the Philippines. From there, he went to Okinawa by Thanksgiving Day, and then Japan - Sasebo, Nagasaki, Yokohama, Tokyo - by Christmas, 1945.
When he returned to San Francisco in 1946, he was sent to Washington DC Navy Yard and the Navy Ordnance Museum. Bob Gedlinske was discharged at Great Lakes IL as AOM 2C (Aviation Ordnanceman) on May 16, 1946.
Bob was honored to have served his country, and was especially proud to display the US flag. As a Boy Scout troop leader, he sold US flags, instead of candy, to raise money.
Bob was born in Wisconsin, and was a life-long fan of the Green Bay Packers. But it wasn’t until he was 75 years old that he was able to attend his first of several games at Lambeau Field. His fondest memory was being selected to be an ambassador and wear a gold jacket as he helped welcome the Packers onto the field at the Packers – Vikings game on December 2, 2012.
Bob worked for NCR (National Cash Register) while he lived in Iowa, so he got to know many, many local businesspeople. He worked hard to keep his customers happy, and he was well-known around Iowa City.
Bob and his wife Pauline raised a family of six children, and were very active in all aspect of their kids’ lives. As grandchildren – and great grandchildren - started to arrive, they were equally supportive in their lives.
Bob and Pauline were able to visit the Normandy D-Day beach area and understand more about what fellow servicepeople endured there. While Bob was not part of the D-Day invasion, he had friends who were there. It was a very serene and emotional site… such a peaceful atmosphere, despite its historical significance.
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