Quite a Quilt: Osceola WWII veteran honored for his military service

Robert Kemp, Sr., a World War II Navy veteran, was presented a quilt by Central Florida Quilts of Valor.

The presentation took place on Jan. 21 at the Osceola Museum of Military History. Kemp celebrated his 95th birthday the day prior. He served on destroyers in both the European and Pacific theatres of WWII, unique among veterans of that war. Destroyer sailors affectionately referred to their ships as “tin cans” due to the ship’s relatively light armor, a tradeoff for faster speed and maneuverability, Kemp said. He enlisted in the Navy in 1942 at age 17 and first saw service protecting supply ship convoys from Nazi U-boats in the North Atlantic aboard the U.S.S. Tillman. He was a quartermaster, responsible for steering the ship, assisting the ship’s officers with navigation, and accurately recording the details of the bridge crews’ actions, such as course changes and observations, even during combat.

“It’s hard to writing things down when you are being attacked,” Kemp quipped.

As an experienced sailor, he was then assigned to the newly constructed U.S.S. John Weeks, which sailed from a New Jersey shipyard through the Panama Canal into the Pacific Ocean to begin fleet escort duties during the invasion of the Philippines.

Later in the war, the ship used its guns and radar to battle Japanese kamikaze planes during the invasion of Okinawa, which turned out to be the last major battle of WWII. They were busy preparing for an invasion of Japan in August 1945, when they got word that something major had happened to alter the course of the war, but, “we were not told what it was” according to Kemp. “Soon we learned of the two atomic bombs dropped on Japan, and then our ship sailed into Tokyo Bay for the Japanese surrender on Sept. 2nd, 1945.”

A few years ago, he wrote a book about his wartime experiences, after requesting Navy records of the two ships he served on.

Quilts of Valor is a national organization dedicated to honoring “those touched by war,” according to Melissa Matthews, group leader for Central Florida QOV. Veterans have to be nominated by family members, friends or others to receive a handmade quilt; Matthews added. Currently, there are 12 other veterans in Central Florida in line to receive a quilt. Due to their advanced age, nominated WWII veterans receive priority.

“It took me about one solid week to make Mr. Kemp’s quilt,” said Marge Nix, one of the Central Florida group’s six members.

“We are always looking for new members, and community or faith-based sewing groups to take on a quilt as a project, or to help complete some of the individual components that make up a quilt, “said Matthews. Sponsorship of individual quilts and donations of cloth and other sewing materials are always welcome. For more information on Quilts of Valor, visit www.QOVF.org.

For more information on the Museum of Military History see www.museumofmilitaryhistory.com.