Captain Robert James Norman, USN

December 8, 1919 ? August 19, 2013

Captain Robert James Norman, USN, 94, passed away Monday August 19, 2013 in Sarasota, Florida.

Captain Norman enlisted in the US Navy in his hometown of Nashua, Iowa, in 1937. Upon completion of recruit training at Great Lakes Naval Training Center, Great Lakes, Illinois he reported for duty on board the USS NEVADA (BB36) and was attached to the battleship based at Pearl Harbor, when attacked on the Japanese Imperial Navy December 7, 1941. For his gallantry in action and close combat he received the nation?s third highest award, the Silver Star. In May 1942 he was promoted to Warrant Boatswain and attended the US Navy Deep Sea Diving School.

Commissioned as an Ensign in 1943, he reported as an instructor at the Ship Salvage School, NY, where he also served as Diving Officer and Officer in Charge of Ship Salvage on the Eastern and Gulf coasts until July 1945. During the closing months of WWII, he served as Executive Officer of the Salvage and Fighting Unit, Philippine Sea Frontier after which he was assigned as Ship Salvage Officer for the 12th Naval District in San Francisco.

In January 1949, he reported as Operations Officer on board the USS TURNER (DDR 834) and in March 1951 assumed command of the salvage ship USS RECOVERY (ARS 43). He served as executive officer of the destroyer USS Rooks (DD 804) from November 1954 to July 1956 when he was selected to attend the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. From July 1959 to July 1961 he was the commanding officer of the destroyer USS ABBOT (DD629) and was instrumental in developing and testing new technologies related to advanced sonar techniques used to locate and identify submarines.

After attending the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force base, he served on the Joint Staff of the Commander in Chief, Caribbean, and later assumed command of DesDiv 132 based in Long Beach, CA. As the Commodore of DD 132 in Vietnam the destroyers under his command included the USS WADDELL (DDG 24), USS BRINKLEY BASS (DD 887), USS SAMUEL N. MOORE (DD 747), and USS HARRY E. HUBBARD (DD 748). He received the Bronze Star Medal with Combat ?V? for heroic achievement against the enemy during a search and rescue operation off the coast of North Vietnam in February 3, 1966.

In August 1966, Captain Norman returned to the Great Lakes Naval Training Center to serve as Commanding Officer of the Naval Administrative Command. In 1969, he assumed command of the Rodman Naval Station, Canal Zone. In 1970, he served as Chief of Navigation Division, Panama Canal Company and subsequently served as the Marine Director for the Panama Canal.

Captain Norman retired from the US Navy after serving over 36 years in October 1973. During his distinguished service career he was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Navy Unit Commendation Medal, Good Conduct Medal, American Defense Medal with Bronze ?A?, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Navy Occupation Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, and the Philippine Liberation Medal.

Not one for retirement, Captain Norman continued a successful civilian career on various logistics and construction projects including the Alaska Pipeline where he worked for Arctic Constructors and served as the Logistics Vice President for the northern most sections six and seven near Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. He also was the Port Director on the Jari project, a pulp and forestry project in the Amazon River basin, Brazil. His last major project before settling into retirement was to manage the Willbros-Butler logistics and mobilization project for the Department of Defense mobile pipeline used in the 1991 invasion of Iraq.

Captain Norman is survived by his loving wife Mary Frances Norman, sister Mary Stuelke, and sons Captain Robert James Norman, Jr., USN retired, Gary Leroy Norman, Colonel Kurt Dexter Norman, USA retired, and Kim Dee Norman and daughter in laws Julie Norman, Linda Norman, Karin Norman, and Tammy Norman. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Kimberly Norman, Kristina Norman, Kurt Norman Jr., Eric Norman, James Norman, and Elle Norman. Captain Norman?s great grandchildren include Sydney Norman, Emma Norman, Korbyn Molello Norman, Danyka Smith, and Payton Norman.

Captain Norman will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery with his first wife Agnes Isadora Norman following a visitation and memorial here in Tulsa, Ok.



Family will receive friends from 6:00 PM ? 8:00 PM, Monday, August 26, 2013 and Funeral Service: 12 noon, Tuesday, August 27, 2013 both in Moore?s Eastlawn Chapel, 1908 S. Memorial Dr., Tulsa, OK www.moorefuneral.com 918-622-1155