We are seeking information on the USS Roper and her crews. Files and photos may be E-mailed to us and we will incorporate them into these pages.

11/28/05:

Charlie Robinson

Mark,

I do have one interesting footnote to Roper's history. In 1932, her gunnery officer was a young lieutenant named Robert Anson Heinlein. He was retired on disability in 1934 due to tuberculosis contracted while serving aboard Roper. He would probably have made admiral during WWII (his brother Lawrence rose to general officer rank in the Army and was MacArthur's deputy during the occupation of Japan), but we might never have made it to the moon if he'd stayed in the Navy. Robert Heinlein went on to become the most famous name in American science fiction and was credited by many of the NASA engineers as their inspiration for a career in space exploration. As I said, just a footnote, but Roper's service off the West Coast in the 30's may have contributed more to the history of the 20th Century than all her missions during the war.

Hi Mark,

my name is Chuck Miller and my father served on the Roper in WWII, he was on her when the kamikaze hit her and I have photos of that and photo of her after she was converted to a 2 stacker for WWII. I don't know if you have or need any photos like this, but I thought I would offer. I am going to check and see if he is on the crew list. He past away of a heart attack on August 29th, 1979 but was very proud to of having served on the Roper.

He never saw any thing like this available on line as computers were not consumer friendly when he was alive, but he would have thought this was very cool. Let me know if you need any of the photos. His name was Ray E. Miller, and I believe he was a yeoman.

Thanks Sincerely,

Chuck Miller