After 54 years, WWII vet gets his medals

Staff Writer

By nicole c. vaccaro


Jeff Huntley East Brunswick resident Robert Abrams recently received his medals of service from World War II after nearly 54 years of waiting.   Jeff Huntley East Brunswick resident Robert Abrams recently received his medals of service from World War II after nearly 54 years of waiting.

EAST BRUNSWICK — It’s been more than 54 years since Cpl. Robert Abrams was discharged from the U.S. Army — and he’s finally got the medals he should have had a half century ago.

During a special ceremony on Sept. 25, U.S. Rep. Rush Holt presented the veteran with five, long-overdue medals. They included the Good Conduct Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with four bronze service stars, the World War II Victory Medal and the Army of Occupation Medal with Japan clasp.

"At the time I was being discharged, so were about 11 or 12 million other guys," said Abrams. "So they couldn’t present us with our medals, only service ribbons.

"I just felt it was about time we got recognized for the job we did," he added. "There are about 75 of my fellow squad members still alive. We’re a dying breed."

Abrams said that he had inquired about getting the medals on his own, but found that the application process customarily takes anywhere from 18 months to two years.

"Not real happy about that, I contacted [Rep.] Holt’s office in June," Abrams said. "He responded immediately and three months later I’ve got my medals.

"It was a proud moment."

Ceremonies were held at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 133, East Brunswick, of which Abrams is a longtime member.

Abrams enlisted in the Army in June 1942. He entered active service on Jan. 30, 1943, and was stationed with the 8th Reconnaissance Group. The group was responsible for surveillance in the China and Burma campaigns, as well as area mapping.

Abram’s first role was to serve the 9th Photo Reconnaissance Squad, whose missions were mostly performed out of Myitkyina, Mandalay and Keng Tung, Burma.

Shortly afterward, he was transferred to the 24th Combat Mapping Squadron, based in Gushkara, India. There he was given the title of acting specs inspector.

"My first mission dealt with the mapping of China for the B-29 program in the 20th Air Force," said Abrams. "We then created target maps of Japan."

The maps were distributed for use by American ground troops.

"India was an exciting place to be," he said. "Especially when the B-29s started flying missions out of there because it was more feasible for them than flying out of China.

"In fact, we started bombing Japan from India."

Other primary responsibilities for Abrams included record keeping of aircraft maintenance and flight patterns, gathering of pilot reports after their missions, and overseeing aircraft inspection and repair.

"I only flew on missions a few times and was fortunate to return alive," he said. "Unfortunately, those men (who flew frequently) made up the majority of those who died."

As of June 30, 1945, 25 soldiers from the squadron were reported killed in combat.

"I remember them often. We were a close-knit bunch of guys on quite an adventure together," Abrams said.

After being discharged from service on Feb. 12, 1946, Abrams returned to work at Berman Aircraft, New York, where he had been employed prior to enlisting.

Not long after that, he gave up that job to work as a cafeteria manager for Johnson & Johnson’s Eastern Surgical Plant, East Brunswick. He remained there for 12 years before retiring.

Abrams married shortly after his release from service and had a daughter, George Ann. His wife passed away a few years later.

He met his present wife, Angie, after being widowed for 18 years. She had been a widow herself for more than 20 years, raising four children of her own.

"We met at a singles gathering and dated for two years," said Angie. "I finally said he had to marry me or that was the end of that because I wasn’t going to live with him."

Realizing how lucky he was to have found love twice, Abrams popped the question.

The happy couple will celebrate their 23rd wedding anniversary this February with their five grown children, 12 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

In his spare time, Abrams enjoys woodworking, and has furnished much of their home with his creations.

He is also commander of the Garden State Basha China, Burma, India Association, and past commander of the Jewish War Veterans for Marlboro and Manalapan.

While he has not returned to India since serving his time there, Abrams said he will never forget those days.

"I still keep in touch with my old squad," he said. "We even have a reunion coming up soon, which I can’t wait for. It’s always good to see those guys."