Veterans Day Tribute

We Salute You!

Let today serve as a reminder that any day our path crosses with a Veteran, we can honor them by simply pausing to thank them for their service and sacrifices. 

In honor of today, Bob's wants to not only give special thanks to all Veterans but also to pay special tribute to a Veteran who recently passed away.

Forrest Titcomb enlisted in the Navy in his junior year of high school, largely to preserve his choice of military service before having to sign up for the draft. He entered the Navy's "boot camp" on his 18th birthday in March 1943, experiencing all the typical enjoyments of military life: standing in lines, Navy coffee, hair cuts, marching, drilling, calisthenics, KP duty, and quite "salty" language.

He attended radar operator's school in the Cavalier Hotel in Virginia Beach, a three-week course on radar systems, which were at that time really coming into their own and for which operators were needed. He was exposed to a variety of radar systems—search radars, air-search radars, and fire control radars. He finished at the top of his class, learned radar installation on ships, and was offered (and accepted) a position at the Cavalier to teach radar operation. Still only 18 years old, he became the supervisor to students tracking incoming ships or aircraft near Norfolk and Hampton Roads, VA.

In September 1944 he was transferred to San Francisco and assigned to the USS Hugh L. Scott, a troop transport trip carrying up to 5,000 men. In his first job he was in charge of one shift of the Mess Deck preparing for, feeding, and cleaning up after 2,500 men.

Later he was assigned to the USS Pontus - a tender for PT boats, which was a bit of a disappointment. In addition to the ship being only a tender vessel, the radar system on it was one of the most abbreviated and least capable system around. It was on this ship that Forrest received the nickname "Pete", which he kept for the rest of his life.

On the Pontus Pete was assigned to the Radio Gang, though he was the only radioman on board. His other duties were those of postmaster and guard mail petty officer. While in New Guinea his ship experienced some air raids and was involved in one minor battle around December 1944.

In early 1945 the Pontus was in the Philippines and Borneo areas. Pete worked as the communications yeoman, decrypting radio messages and maintaining crypto systems, while still teaching radar and supervising watchmen. He remained a guard mail petty officer and added Ship's Bugler to his list of duties.

Once the war ended, the Pontus headed for Guam (surviving a typhoon at sea along the way), landed at Pearl Harbor and then Long Beach Harbor by the end of 1945. In early 1946 the Pontus sailed through the Panama Canal and in February reached New York City.

Pete was discharged on March 15, 1946. On March 18 at age 21, he was back in high school to finish his junior and senior years.

From daughter Suzanne Henig: Pete died in September 2023 after a long and wonderful life. He was a kind and generous man who lived a life of service to others, touching many lives and making the world a better place. Having him for my dad was one of my life’s greatest blessings. I will always miss him.

Please consider a donation to Fisher House, an organization that does an amazing job honoring military members and their families.