Shawano Navy Veteran “Skip” Robertson had a memorable role after the Apollo 11 splashdown
SHAWANO, Wis. (WFRV) – Howard “Skip” Robertson served in the United States Navy during the Vietnam Conflict. He also helped NASA. His time away from his wife Patsey was longer than they expected, yet their love endured.
“I loved standing lookout,” he told Local 5 News. “I could tell you stories.”
Click here for more news, weather, and sports
He was a radarman and served on the USS Hornet between 1966 and 1970, including two tours in Vietnamese waters during the war.
“So I was watching the radar, keeping track of everything within a mile,” he recalled. “Ya know, there was one instance where we were able to save a pilot. He had gone down. I was pleased to have done that.”
The Hornet was also called into action for NASA to retrieve the astronauts who had splashed back down to Earth.
“We are all looking forward to having the summer in California,” he recalled. “And then we were sent down to recover Apollo 11. Glad to get it done. But, we did such a good job that they told us you could get Apollo 12 as well.”
You can see where he used to work if you go to San Francisco, where the Hornett is now a floating museum, which he did in 2019 for the 50th anniversary to re-enact his historic message.
“They found a chair and put me at the desk, and I repeated those famous words, ‘Houston, this is Hornett. We have Apollo onboard.’ Our kids and grandkids were there.”
He has kept many mementos from his time in service, including a medal recognizing the recovery of an American plane shot down by the North Koreans in 1969.
“We were in a secret situation,” he explained.
Meantime, back in the United States, it was yet another time when his wife, a nurse home in Wisconsin, would learn from radio reports that he wouldn’t be coming back as soon as they hoped.
“The reporter said that the lead ship was CVS 12,” Patsey said. “I thought, that’s the Hornet. He’s not supposed to be there. Good thing my parents were there to talk me off the cliff.”
When Robertson got home, he used the GI Bill to study education at UW Oshkosh.
“I was very proud to wear my P jacket with my insignia on the side and all that. I never ran into any hassle. I was proud of my service and glad to have served. And the takeaway from my time in the Navy is that I grew up.”
Perhaps the most precious keepsakes are the letters Skip exchanged with Patsey over the years, including his marriage proposal and the letter asking her dad for his blessing.
Skip wrote to Patsey’s dad that he wanted to wait until he made 3rd Class Petty Officer.
The father’s response still brings a smile to both their faces.
“You have my permission and blessing. Where there is a will, there is a way. I don’t want this to sound like a sermon, but I will always remember what my Army Nurse and Sunday school teacher told me years ago. When things look the worst, and all your troubles pile up, count your blessings.”
Click here for more sounds and stories from Wisconsin’s Hometown Heroes
Skip tells his story, hoping people realize family members serve in their unique way when a loved one is away.
Apollo 11 was the first human spaceflight to land on the moon. The splashdown happened 55 years ago this July.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.