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Robert R. M. Emmett U.S. Navy  WWII
Robert R. M. Emmett U.S. Navy WWII
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Emmett, Robert R. M.

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Date of Birth: 1/27/1888
Died On: 7/1/1977 Last Residence: 33140, Miami, Miami-Dade, Florida
Street Address: Grace Church Street
Service Number: unknown
Branch of Service: U.S. Navy -WWII


Veteran Code: USN-331


BIOGRAPHY
 
Robert Rutherford Morris Emmet

Robert Rutherford Morris Emmet was born on January 27, 1888, in New Rochelle, New York, to Helen Van Cortlandt Phelps (Emmet), age 27, and Robert Temple Emmet, age 33. In Rye his family lived on Grace Church Street.

Robert married Beulah Eaton Hepburn (Emmet) on October 17, 1914, in Ridgefield, Connecticut. They had five children during their marriage.

Robert graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Class of 1908. He served as an officer in the U.S. Navy during World War I and World War II. He helped plan the logistics for the invasion of North Africa in World War II and retired as a U.S. Navy Rear Admiral.

Robert Rutherford Morris Emmet
DATE OF BIRTH: January 27, 1888
HOME OF RECORD: Rye, New York

Admiral Emmet. 58, tall, crinkle eyed and dynamic, relaxed happily after a "tough" 18 holes of golf at Oak Hill Country Club in the afternoon. "You know, Joe." said the blue eyed sailor, "if I had my entire naval career to live over again wouldn't change one minute of it." Admiral Emmet, who was graduated from the Naval Academy in 1908, was assigned in 1940 to command the transportation of amphibious forces for the Atlantic Fleet, and led the central attack group that landed 25,000 troops on Casablanca one dark morning in November, 1942. Objective Hit on Nose "The beach we were to strike was Fedela." he said, "and it was amazing how we hit our objective right on the nose after 15 days at sea. At that time we carried one of the Aret radar sets in operation, and it permitted us to see the coast line in great detail.

That invention was a godsend." During that early invasion Admiral Emmet had craftily deployed several small gunboats, mounting 50 caliber machine guns, at both flanks of the invading waves. "We expected the French to throw spotlights on us." he said, "so I made counter preparations." As the first waves approached the beach, hen recalled. the spotlights went on as expected. but were immediately shot out by the 50's and so the attack was carried out in complete darkness at 4. a. m. as planned. This strategy was instrumental in saving many American lives. and helped earn for Emmet the Navy's Distinguished Service Medal. During his naval career Admiral Emmet has commanded the battleship Texas, served 1.4 chief of staff to the commander of the Atlantic Squadron in 1940, and was recalled from sea duty in February, 1943, to act as commanding officer of the United States Naval Training Center at Great Lakes, Illinois.

From 1927-29 he served as naval attaché to Holland in The Hague. Praises Navy as Career "You can tell the youth of Rochester that you can't beat the Navy as a career," declared the admiral.

In his time he has supervised the naval training of "nearly 1,000,000 young gentlemen who went through Great Lakes 'boot' camp." Emmet, lounging in a striped gray jacket, gray pants and a white sport shirt now looks to his retirement days with anticipation.

Golf is his favorite pastime and "I enjoy breaking 90 once in a while," he said. "I taught him golf in Miami December, 1942," added his host. "Yes, and the deuce of it is he's still teaching." chuckled the admiral.

Emmet, who was awarded the Navy Cross in World War I for his part in the Sea mine laying operations, to North. spend the rest of his days on land at his home in Miami Beach, Fla. "I'm having my uniforms altered to "civvies," he mused. "I guess my stormy days are over."..

AWARDS BY DATE OF ACTION: 1 of 2

Navy Cross

AWARDED FOR ACTIONS DURING World War I
Service: Navy
Division: U.S.S. Canonicus

GENERAL ORDERS: CITATION:

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Lieutenant Commander Robert Rutherford Morris Emmet, United States Navy, for distinguished service in the line of his profession as Executive Officer of the U.S.S. CANONICUS, engaged in laying mine barrage in North Sea during World War I.

Navy Distinguished Service Medal

AWARDED FOR ACTIONS DURING World War II
Service: Navy
Division: Western Naval Task Force

GENERAL ORDERS: CITATION:

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Distinguished Service Medal to Captain Robert Rutherford Morris Emmet, United States Navy, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished service in a position of great responsibility to the Government of the United States, as Commander of the Center Attack Group of the Western Naval Task Force in the landing operations in North Africa in November 1942. Captain Emmet was assigned the duty of capturing the town of Fedala and an important airfield nearby and skillfully conducted all unites under his command to their stations for the attack on the town in complete darkness on 7 November. In the early morning of 8 November, he landed troops and equipment in Fedala, and in the face of persistent fire, the Center Attack Group captured the shore batteries. By early afternoon, all organized hostile resistance in the vicinity had ceased.

Robert Rutherford Morris Emmet died on July 6, 1977, in Missouri at the age of 89, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia.

At the time of his death, he was survived by his wife the former Beulah Hepburn three sons Robert, Barton and John two daughters and 12 grandchildren.



Name: Robert Emmet
Gender: Male
Birth Date: 27 Jan 1888
Death Date: 6 Jul 1977
SSN: 262522070
Enlistment Date 1: 15 Jun 1910
Release Date 1: 1 Aug 1946

Links to this Veterans History

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