US Navy Fireman 3rd Class Robert Floyd "Dick" Wise was born in Pensacola, Florida on July 3, 1925, the son of William Floyd Wise (1899-1953) and Roberta Lois Strother (1901-1976). His parents were married in 1917 and would set up housekeeping at 808 East Aragon Street while he was working as a laborer. By 1921, they had moved to 510 North "H" Street. In the 1927 City Directory he is listed as the Chief of the Pensacola Fire Department. Subsequent directories have him listed as a fireman until the time he retired. He and his family would move into 917 North "M" Street prior to 1941 and he was living there at the time of is death.
Robert's great grandfather was William Floyd Wise (1820-1900) who was a Confederate veteran of the Civil War. He enlisted in Bulloch County, Georgia with Company "C" of the 47th Georgia Infantry Regiment. In the beginning of the war they were dispatched to guard the Georgia coast. Soon after, they were ordered to Charleston SC where they fought at the Battle of Secessionville. During the rest of their service, they would fight in such battles as the Siege of Jackson, the Siege of Chattanooga, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, the Atlanta Campaign, the Savannah Campaign, Tullifiny Station, and the Carolinas Campaign before surrendering to Union General William T. Sherman on April 26, 1865.
As for Robert, he would attend local schools before enlisting in the US Navy on July 16, 1942. He was sent to Birmingham, Alabama for processing and orientation before heading off to basic training. Upon completion, he boarded the destroyer, USS Smith (DD-378) as an "Able Seaman" on September 15, 1942. One month later he was promoted to "Fireman 3rd Class" on October 16.
In the meantime, the Japanese had been unable to defeat the Americans on Guadalcanal after three months of bitter fighting. Growing desperate they concocted a plan that entailed a coordinated land-based and naval attack for late October 1942. The plan first called for a diversionary ground attack against Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. Once captured a huge Japanese naval force would fall upon any U.S. warships that came to the Marine's rescue. The enemy fleet would include four carriers along with a combined force of 200 aircraft, surrounded by four battleships, eight heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, and 28 destroyers.
As the enemy fleet was waiting for their plan to develop, Admiral Bull Halsey's task force was sailing on October 26, 1942, for the Santa Cruz Islands in search for the Japanese. With him was the carriers USS Enterprise and USS Hornet along with one one battleship, three heavy and three light cruisers, and twelve destroyers. Suddenly, his patrol planes found the Japanese carrier Zuiho and hit her with two 500-pound bombs. Upon their return, Halsey launched a full air strike against the lurking enemy task force. With the battle of Santa Cruz fully engaged, enemy air strikes began arriving to attack the Enterprise and Hornet. Robert's ship was stationed next to the giant Enerprise to protect her during the battle. In the midst of the fight a Japanese bomber burst into flames from antiaircraft fire as it tried to crash into the Enterprise. Unable to hit the carrier the pilot flew his plane into the USS Smith spraying burning fuel all over. In the middle of the conflagration, the burning plane's torpedo exploded causing further death and destruction.
The battle would cost the USS Smith, 51 sailors killed, of which 29 of those were listed as missing in action. Pensacolian Robert Floyd Wise was one of the latter, most likely blown overboard and never recovered. As for the battle as a whole it was considered an American defeat. The U.S. Navy lost the carrier "Hornet" plus a destroyer but was only able to heavily damage two enemy carriers while failing to sink a single Japanese ship. This left the US with only one damaged carrier as America's only aircraft carrier afloat in the area. But the Japanese had lost 97 aircraft versus 81 of ours along with 148 Japanese aircrewmen compared with our 24. Plus, with their failure to capture Henderson Field on Guadalcanal the battle became an American strategic victory.
Back home, Robert's parents would be notified by the War Department at their home at 917 North "M" Street that their son was missing in action. Per their policy, he was not declared dead for one year, which is why his tombstone has the date of death as October 26, 1943, rather than 1942. His name was inscribed on the "Tablets of the Missing" in Manila as his ship and the war would continue for three more years.
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