US Navy 2nd Class Robert Burns Hardy was born in Saraland, Mobile County, Alabama on January 28, 1920, the son of Robert Morgan Hardy (1890-1951) and Lula Bell Pyburn (1895-1987). As was common in those days, his father occupied several employment positions to support his family. In 1910, he drove as ox team in Bay Minette, AL and ten years later was with the railroad in Jay, Florida. He appeared in Pensacola, Florida prior to 1936 where he was employed for the Spearman Brewery as a driver and living at 223 North Devilliers Street. Two years later he was a foreman having moved to 114 North Devilliers Street. By 1940, he was a machine operator for Spearman's and had moved his family into 701 North "Z" Street. Ironically, one of his lodgers was a 20-year-old young lady by the name of Miss Phyllis Ellen Robertson. That same year she and their son Robert Burns Hardy were married in Pensacola on October 27, 1940.
Her new husband had attended Pensacola High School in the Class of 1938 however, had dropped out after two years. Phyllis herself was a graduate of Pensacola High in the Class of 1937. Robert had enlisted in the US Navy on March 11, 1939, and was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia at the time of his wedding. On December 11, 1940 he came aboard the destroyer DD-85 USS Colhoun.
Robert was the great grandson of Confederate Private William Sheppard Hardy Sr. (1837-1890), of Company "F", 43rd Infantry Regiment. His company was recruited out of Mobile County and would fight in the battles of Chickamauga, Knoxville Campaign, Drewry's Bluff, Petersburg, Sayler's Creek, with their final fight around Appomattox Courthouse.
In the meantime, Robert's brother Milton Oliver Hardy had enlisted in the USMC prior to WWII and soon found himself fighting with the 2nd Marine Regiment on Guadalcanal on August 29, 1942. The Marines there were running short of food and munitions, so the Navy was trying to supply them and fight the formidable Japanese Fleet at the same time. One of the ships that made it through to assist them was the destroyer USS Colhoun. But on board that ship was Milton's younger brother Robert Burns Hardy, a 2nd Class Machinists Mate. The boys had not seen each other in over a year and the reunion was joyous in the midst of the surrounding death and destruction. The survival of the embattled Marines on Guadalcanal was still in doubt and the Navy was fighting for theirs as well. After a short visit the brothers embraced and said goodbye on August 30th as Robert's ship pulled out and headed out to sea. Suddenly, Milton watched in horror from the shore as Japanese bombers appeared over the horizon and struck his brother's ship with several bombs. The explosions killed all the men in the after-deck house and blew several of their gun emplacements completely off the ship. Amidst the fire and explosions 51 men were killed and 18 wounded in the attack. Within minutes, the Colhoun sank from sight taking his brother Robert with it as his distraught brother looked on helplessly. A War Department telegram arrived for Robert's wife, Phyllis Ellen Robertson Hardy and his young daughter Joyce. Robert's body was never recovered, but a grave marker in his memory is located at Barrancas Cemetery. Milton would survive the war and return home to his family. He passed away in 1961 and was buried in Oklahoma.
His wife would retire from the disbursing office at NSA civil service after 37-years. She passed away on July 2, 2007, and donated her remains to the University of South Alabama Medical School. Her ashes were interred later at Robert's memorial at Barrancas.
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