| Robert V. R. Bassett, Jr.[1] | |
|---|---|
Robert Bassett as a midshipman 1/c at the United States Naval Academy |
|
| Born | 1913[1] |
| Died | 28 December 1966[1] |
| Allegiance | United States of America[1] |
| Service/branch | United States Navy[1] |
| Years of service | 1935–1965[1] |
| Rank | Captain (U.S. Navy)[1] |
| Commands held | USS Rehoboth (AVP-50) NROTC Unit, Duke University NROTC Unit, University of New Mexico[1] |
| Battles/wars | World War II[1] |
| Awards | Legion of Merit Presidential Unit Citation (United States) Bronze Cross (Netherlands)[1] |
Robert V. R. Bassett was a World War II veteran and prisoner of war who served as Professor of Naval Science at Duke University and the University of New Mexico.[1]
Ensign Bassett was commissioned upon graduation from the United States Naval Academy in 1935. He served aboard Texas (BB-35) and Savannah (CL-42) prior to assignment to Pope (DD-225) in 1940. He was aboard Pope at the Battle of Balikpapan (1942) and the Battle of Badung Strait. He was rescued by the Japanese destroyer Ikazuchi after spending 20 hours in the water when Pope was sunk by dive bombers during the Second Battle of the Java Sea. He was transferred to Makassar on Sulawesi and remained a prisoner of war until August, 1945. Following return to the United States, he served as commanding officer of Rehoboth (AVP-50) before attending the Naval War College and a Pentagon assignment on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations. He returned to sea as executive officer of Baltimore (CA-68) in 1954 before another staff assignment with ComServPac in Honolulu. He commanded the NROTC unit at Duke University during the late 1950s prior to serving at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Paris and at the BUPERS in Washington, D.C.. His final command was the NROTC unit at the University of New Mexico from 1962 to 1965.[1]