Robert W. Hoehn
U.S. Navy Corpsman
Normandy-Iwo Jima
Bob Hoehn was born Aug. 2, 1925, in Fall Creek, WI. He was 18 when he boarded LST 314 in England as a Navy corpsman bound for Omaha Beach. On June 6, 1944, returning with casualties after unloading ordnance gear and troops, Bob’s ship was torpedoed by German E-boats in the English Channel. It sank in 26 minutes, and for several hours, 150 men battled hypothermia in 52-degree waters. A British destroyer eventually rescued the 68 who survived. Following a brief family leave, Bob was redeployed with the Marines—to Iwo Jima. He received a Purple Heart.
After the war, Bob enjoyed a career as an advertising executive in Los Angeles, encountering celebrities ranging from Dinah Shore to John Lennon. Ultimately, the sea called him back. He won yacht races on the crew of sailboats including the iconic Bolero and Ticonderoga, before settling in Hawaii. He was a restaurateur on Maui and a founder of the Lahaina Yacht Club there, as well as its first Commodore.
Bob passed away in Pukalani, Maui, on June 15, 2015.
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