Anchors Aweigh

Events at Pearl Harbor angered 9th grade English teacher Norman Edward Robinson. At the age of 34 he left his teaching job at the school (in Monmouth, Indiana,) and joined the United States Navy. While he was gone, from 1942-1945 the school held his job open. School officials promised that his teaching job would still be waiting for him when he eventually returned from the war.


He traveled with the U.S. Navy as a Pharmacist First Mate to many countries, just a few of them being: Bougainville, Guadalcanal, Hawaii, The New Hebrides, New Zealand, Pago Pago, the Panama Canal, Philippines and Samoa. He participated in training exercises on islands such as: Efati and Espirito Santos prior to being sent to Bougainville. Mate Robinson also served (and wore stars) for his service in the battlefields at both Pivi Village and Pivi forks.

The opening “Biography” section explores the permanent relocation of his entire family from Belfast, Ireland to their new residence located at 2515 E. Riverside Drive in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was in the year of (1910.) It delves deeply into his other immediate family members giving explanations of how their relationships intertwined.

Outlines of Norman’s many educational accomplishments prior to those war years appear. It was his long time girl friend (of 9 years, Mary Katherine Mitchell) that waited so patiently for him to return after W.W. II in Indianapolis, Indiana. You will be reading much more about their bitter/sweet relationship in the later part of the book.

This book gives some glimpses interspersed with family stories, pictures, weather conditions and recipes describing the everyday routine daily life of those war years from 1941-1945. Narratives of the letters that flew back and forth with his family members, church friends and neighbors while he was serving are also included.