RURAL JACKSON MAN SERVED UNIQUE MISSION 50 YEARS AGO

JACKSON -- Fifty years ago, a rural Jackson man was part of a unique, and mostly unknown, floating repair depot island-hopping across the Pacific Ocean.

Robert G. Aubuchon, 78, was a staff sergeant and worked as a supply clerk aboard one of the floating aircraft repair and maintenance ships that followed the U.S. bomber and fighter aircraft commands across the Pacific as they brought World War II to Japan.

Aubuchon was one of 5,000 specially trained U.S. Army Air Force servicemen who worked aboard the 6th Aircraft Repair Unit. He served on the Liberty ship, Brig. Gen. Alfred J. Lyon.

Land-based repair and maintenance facilities for damaged bombers and fighter aircraft was difficult and time-consuming to set up.

Instead, six new Liberty ships were converted into repair depots that followed the fighting. Each ship carried aircraft repair parts and materials.

Although owned by the Army Air Force, the repair ships were operated by a civilian Merchant Marine deck crew and deck officers. The ship's captain was a civilian merchant marine officer as were the engine room officers. The Navy provided sailors to man the ship's weapons.

An Army Air Force lieutenant colonel commanded the specially-trained craftsmen and technicians.

The floating repair ships saw service in the Philippines, Guam, Tinian, Okinawa and Iwo Jima. The floating repair depots at Iwo Jima enabled fighter aircraft and B-29s that were damaged on missions over Japan to get back to a large repair depot on Guam.

The ships were equipped with landing pads for helicopters that brought in damaged aircraft parts and took off with new or repaired parts. Other aircraft parts and equipment were transported to the ship and back to the island air bases by small boats.

Aubuchon, who had never been to sea in his life when he was assigned to the 6th Aircraft Repair Unit, was afraid he would become seasick. He didn't, but many of his shipmates spent a lot of time draped over the deck railing during the first few days of the voyage that took them through the Panama Canal and into the Pacific Ocean.

After a few days at sea, the men finally got their sea legs and settled into a daily routine aboard ship.

As a supply clerk, Aubuchon issued aircraft parts and supplies that were used by the craftsmen and technicians in the repair and maintenance shops to put American bombers and fighter aircraft back in operation.

They worked three shifts each day, in non-air conditioned shops and offices below deck. Fresh air was supplied below deck from air vents on deck, but the tropical air was always warm and humid so working and living conditions below deck were not ideal.

The Lyon spent most of its tour of duty in the Philippines, including San Pedro Bay, Tacloban, Leyte, Subic Bay, Luzon, and Manila. After the war ended, the Lyon was sent to Tokyo Bay and Yokohama, Japan before returning home.

Because the ship had no naval escort during its voyage in the Pacific, there was always a danger of attack from Japanese submarines. But the Lyon and its crew went through the rest of war in the Pacific without taking hostile fire, although they did see some nearby action a few times.

"We were anchored a few miles from an island air base that was was under attack from Japanese aircraft," said Aubuchon. "We could see the smoke and hear the shooting, but our ship was never attacked."

Because of the unusual circumstances and working conditions, Aubuchon recalled there wasn't the usual Army Air Force military spit and polish that would have been present on a land-based Army Air Force base.

As he looks back 50 years later, Aubuchon said, "It was certainly a lot different from what I thought it was going to be like. It was an unusual experience, but the conditions we had aboard the ship were far better than you'd normally expect for an enlisted man during World War II."

Aubuchon completed his tour of duty aboard the Alfred J. Lyon while the ship was anchored in Tokyo harbor after the war had ended. He returned to Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis County and was discharged in January 1946.

Aubuchon and many of the surviving shipmates who worked aboard the Alfred J. Lyon will meet again during a reunion next month in Nashville, Tenn.