1945
The U.S. Navy assigned the name “The Hollisters” to a 2,200 ton destroyer in honor of three gallant Robbinsdale brothers lost in World War II. Lyle Eugene Hollister, Radioman Second Class, served in the Sicilian, Italian and Salerno campaigns. In January 1944, he was reported missing in action when his ship, the Destroyer Plunkett was attacked by enemy aircraft during the Anzio Assault. Richard Jerome Hollister and William Howard Hollister enlisted and remained together during their short, heroic Naval career. In November 1943, their ship, the escort carrier, Liscombe Bay was torpedoed torpedoed and sunk in the Gilbert Islands. William died of wounds received in action and Richard was reported missing in action. The Hollisters was decommissioned and in 1979. Four years later the ship was transferred to Taiwan and renamed the Shao Yang.
Deer occasionally bound into metropolitan areas and on May 23, 1945, a 160-pound, four-point buck bounded into the open basement door of the Robbinsdale Pharmacy, 4139 West Broadway, owned by Morris W. Henney. Game Warden, Ben Cohen, and Robbinsdale policemen. Matt Spurzem and Adrian Mattson, came to the rescue but not before the deer had done $600 damage by crashing into medicine cabinets. After Cohen and Mattson dragged it outside and trussed it up, the deer was taken to Sheriff Earle Brown’s farm for doctoring and then to a game refuge.
On August 6, the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima and together with the bomb on Nagasaki, August 9, put an end to World War II and seventeen million military people came home in late 1945 and 1946. Naturally, a baby boom soon occurred and Robbinsdale also felt the effects in the building of schools to be mentioned later. But one can pause and wonder what the” effect was on these children as they were the first in history to grow up living with “The Bomb.”
This post is part of a series loosely based on the book Robbinsdale Then and Now by Helen Blodgett.
During Vietnam there were 3 Minnesota boys who served aboard the very ship.
Born in Fergus Falls MN my oldest brother Donald H Jensen Jr Quartermaster third class was first to be stationed aboard. I’m the second, Ronald S Jensen, Electriciansmate third class. I was first stationed on 2 aircraft carriers, USS Bennington CVS2O and USS Enterprise CVAN65. I requested to serve with my brother and joined him off coast of Vietnam. After the cruise ended Don was discharged after completing enlistment. Soon after my next youngest brother joined me. James A Jensen, Engineman third class, responsible for diesel powered emergency backup generators. We departed mod 1972 for Vietnam and the ship joined our forces. The USS HOLLISTER DD788 did their namesake es proud. The ships performance was exemplary during attacks on N Vietnam. She was first naval vessel to use a converted missile in combat.
We were proud to serve. We did not know of the Hollister brothers but felt proud to uphold their traditions.