- Robert W. Copeland
Rear Admiral Robert Witcher Copeland (9 September 1910 –25 August 1973 ) served duringWorld War II .Copeland was born in
Tacoma, Washington . Enlisted in theNaval Reserve in 1929, he was commissioned as a Naval Reserve officer in 1935. Copeland practiced law from 1935 until 1940, when he was ordered to active duty during the Navy's pre-World War II expansion. During the war, he commanded "Pawtucket" (YT-7), "Black Douglas" (PYc-45), "Wyman" (DE-38) and "Samuel B. Roberts" (DE-413).During the
Battle off Samar ,25 October 1944 , while commanding "Samuel B. Roberts", Lieutenant Commander Copeland led his ship and crew in an attack on superiorJapan esebattleship andcruiser force. Though his ship was lost, this action helped defeat the Japanese counter-offensive against the Leyte invasion. For this, he was awarded theNavy Cross .Following World War II, Copeland resumed his law career while remaining a member of the Naval Reserve, in which he rose to the rank of Rear Admiral. Robert W. Copeland died at
Tacoma, Washington , on25 August 1973 .USS "Copeland" (FFG-25) was named for him.
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