Robert W. Copeland

Copeland was born in [[Tacoma, Washington]]. Enlisted in the [[United States Navy Reserve|Naval 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 {{USS|Pawtucket|YT-7|3}}, {{USS|Black Douglas|PYc-45|3}}, {{USS|Wyman|DE-38|3}}, and {{USS|Samuel B. Roberts|DE-413|3}}.

Copeland was born in [[Tacoma, Washington]]. Enlisted in the [[United States Navy Reserve|Naval 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 {{USS|Pawtucket|YT-7|3}}, {{USS|Black Douglas|PYc-45|3}}, {{USS|Wyman|DE-38|3}}, and {{USS|Samuel B. Roberts|DE-413|3}}.

During the [[Battle off Samar]], October 25, 1944, while commanding ''Samuel B. Roberts'', a destroyer escort, with 2 x 5 inch guns and weighing in at only 1,350 tonnes, Lieutenant Commander Copeland led his ship and crew in an attack on a superior [[Japan]]ese [[battleship]] and [[cruiser]] force, together with 3 other US destroyers (USS Johnston, USS Hoel, USS Heermann) and 4 destroyer escorts (USS Dennis, USS John C. Butler, USS Raymond, USS Samuel B. Roberts). The Japanese force consisted of 4 battleships, 6 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers and some 11 destroyers. One of the Japanese battleships was the almighty legendary [[Japanese_battleship_Yamato|battleship Yamato]], with her 9 x 18.1 inch guns and weighing in at over 65,000 tonnes, once of the finest if not the finest battleship ever built. It was an outstandingly brave action to charge such a powerful force in his tiny destroyer escort.

During the [[Battle off Samar]], October 25, 1944, while commanding ''Samuel B. Roberts'', a destroyer escort, with 2 x 5 inch guns and weighing in at only 1,350 tonnes, Lieutenant Commander Copeland led his ship and crew in an attack on a superior [[Japan]]ese [[battleship]] and [[cruiser]] force, together with 3 other US destroyers (USS Johnston, USS Hoel, USS Heermann) and 4 destroyer escorts (USS Dennis, USS John C. Butler, USS Raymond, USS Samuel B. Roberts). The Japanese force consisted of 4 battleships, 6 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers and some 11 destroyers. One of the Japanese battleships was the almighty legendary [[Japanese_battleship_Yamato|battleship Yamato]], with her 9 x 18.1 inch guns and weighing in at over 65,000 tonnes, one of the finest if not the finest battleship ever built. It was an outstandingly brave action to charge such a powerful force in his tiny destroyer escort.

Though his ship was sunk and lost in the battle, this action helped defeat the Japanese counter-offensive against the Leyte invasion. For this, he was awarded the [[Navy Cross (United States)|Navy Cross]], and shared the [[Presidential Unit Citation (United States)|Presidential Unit Citation]] with the rest of Task Unit 77.4.3. After his ship was crippled by 14-inch shells from a Japanese battleship and ordered abandoned, Copeland managed to survive for two days on a life raft before being rescued. Of the 224-man crew aboard the USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413) during the Battle off Samar on October 25, 1944, 120 sailors survived. Copeland was lucky to be one of the 120 who survived. Those who survived, spent over 50 hours in the water on a raft. Some of the men in the water were eaten by sharks.

Though his ship was sunk and lost in the battle, this action helped defeat the Japanese counter-offensive against the Leyte invasion. For this, he was awarded the [[Navy Cross (United States)|Navy Cross]], and shared the [[Presidential Unit Citation (United States)|Presidential Unit Citation]] with the rest of Task Unit 77.4.3. After his ship was crippled by 14-inch shells from a Japanese battleship and ordered abandoned, Copeland managed to survive for two days on a life raft before being rescued. Of the 224-man crew aboard the USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413) during the Battle off Samar on October 25, 1944, 120 sailors survived. Copeland was lucky to be one of the 120 who survived. Those who survived, spent over 50 hours in the water on a raft. Some of the men in the water were eaten by sharks.