Cpl. Robert T. Boerman was born on September 17, 1921, in Chicago, Illinois, to James K. Boerman and Elsie Benesh-Boerman. With his sister and two brothers, he grew up at 1605 South Sixth Avenue, Maywood, Illinois. He graduated from Roosevelt School and then Proviso Township High School as a member of the class of 1939. He worked for the Ocean Accident & Casualty Company in Chicago. On February 16, 1942, he registered with Selective Service for the draft.
Robert appears not wanting to wait to be drafted into the Army, so he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on August 17, 1942. Records indicate that he did his basic training at Camp Pendleton, California, and then had additional training at San Clemente, California. His service number was 439089. It is known that he married Conita Stilson and that she resided at 7660 Girard Avenue, La Jolla, California. At some point, he was assigned to the 6th Marine Division and sent to Guadalcanal where he took part in additional training. The division was officially activated on September 7, 1944.
The 6th took part in the invasion and Battle of Okinawa landing on the island on April 1, 1945. What is known is that Robert was severely wounded and refused to be evacuated for medical treatment to stay with his platoon resulting him to die from his wounds on June 20, 1945. He was buried on Okinawa in the 6th Marine Division Cemetery #1, in Plot B, Row 32, Grave 789, in a shelter half which was referred to as a shroud.
After the war, the American Graves Recovery Service began to exhume the dead from the various islands in the Pacific. It wasn’t until July 13, 1948, that his remains were exhumed and noted to be skeletal. His remains were casketed and sent to what was called the Saipan U.S. Mausoleum arriving there on September 2, 1948.
It appears that his wife had remarried which made his father the next of kin. His father appears to have left his wife to assume this role. His mother indicated that she wanted Robert’s casketed remains to be returned to the United States and buried at the Rock Island National Cemetery, Rock Island, Illinois. His casket was placed on the USAT Dalton Victory on January 29, 1949, and arrived at Fort Mason in the San Francisco Port of Entry on February 17, 1949. With an escort by trin his remains were sent to the Quartermaster Corps Distribution Center #8, in Chicago, on March 3, 1949. From Chicago his casket was sent by train to the Rock Island National Cemetery, Rock Island, Illinois.
Cpl. Robert T. Boerman was buried with full military honors at the Rock Island National Cemetery on April 21, 1949, in Plot E Grave 83.
