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Robert Kinzler, Schofield Barracks, May, 1941.

Robert G. Kinzler
Captain, U.S. Army Retired

Robert G. Kinzler was born in Newark, New Jersey on March 7, 1922. On June 24, 1940, Mr. Kinzler enlisted in the United States Army. He arrived in Hawai’i in September of 1940.

On December 7, 1941, Private Kinzler was a Morse Code Radio Operator assigned to Headquarters Company, 27 th Infantry Regiment, 25 th Infantry (Tropical Lightning) Division located at Schofield Barracks. On December 7 th, Schofield Barracks was not a target for the Japanese planes. However, located just ¾ of a mile away from Schofield Barracks was Wheeler Army Airfield one of seven Japanese targets hit that day. During the attack, Mr. Kinzler’s company was ordered to move to a pre-assigned battle station located at the Roosevelt High School football stadium in Honolulu. On their way to Honolulu the company got their first look at the destruction that took place at Pearl Harbor.

During WWII, Mr. Kinlzer served in the South Pacific, the continental United States, and Canada. With more than 22 years of military service Captain Robert G. Kinzler retired from the United States Army in October of 1962.

In 1985, Mr. Kinzler joined the National Park Service’s Volunteers-In-Parks program. He is one of the USS Arizona Memorial’s longest serving volunteers. He has also been an active participant in the Pearl Harbor Survivor Series part of the Witness to History videoconferencing program. This series enables students on both a national and international level to learn about the December 7 th attack by directly communicating with Survivors.

For more information about volunteerism and the Take Pride in America visit to the USS Arizona Memorial, visit www.takepride.gov.