Biography of LCDR Robert W. Copeland, USNR

Commanding Officer

USS SAMUEL B. ROBERTS (DE 413)

LCDR Robert W. Copeland, USN

U.S. Navy photograph

Lieutenant Commander Robert Witcher Copeland, U.S. Naval Reserve

	Navy Cross
	Purple Heart
	Combat Action Ribbon
	Presidential Unit Citation
	American Defense Service Medal
	American Campaign Medal
	Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
	World War II Victory Medal
	National Defense Service Medal
	Philippine Presidential Unit Citation
	Philippine Liberation Medal
Award Criteria

RANK	DATES	DUTY STATION/EVENT
-	1910	Born in Tacoma, Washington
-	1929 - 1935	University of Washington
ENS	1935 -1940	Naval Reserve Forces Command
ENS	1940	USS PAWTUCKET (YT-7)
LTJG	1941 - 1942	USS BLACK DOUGLAS (PYc-45)
LT	1943	USS WYMAN (DE-38)
LCDR	1944	USS SAMUEL B. ROBERTS (DE-413)
LCDR	1945	Naval War College
LCDR	1945 - 1946	5th Naval District
CDR	1947 - ????	Naval Reserve Forces Command
CAPT	???? - 1960	Naval Reserve Forces Command
RADM	1961	Promoted to Rear Admiral
RADM	1961 - 1965	Naval Reserve Forces Command
RADM	1965	Retired from Service
-	1973	Died at Tacoma, Washington

Short biography of
Lieutenant Commander Robert Witcher Copeland, U.S. Navy

Robert Witcher Copeland was born in Tacoma, Washington on September 9, 1910.

He enlisted in the Naval Reserve in 1929 and was commissioned as a Naval Reserve officer in 1935.

Copeland practiced law from 1935 until 1940, when he was ordered to active duty during the Navy's pre-World War II expansion effort.

During the War, he commanded USS Pawtucket (YT-7), USS Black Douglas (PYc-45), USS Wyman (DE-38) and USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413).

During the Battle off Samar, October 25, 1944, while commanding Samuel B. Roberts, Lieutenant Commander Copeland led his ship and crew in an attack on a greatly superior Japanese battleship and cruiser force. Though his ship was lost, this action helped defeat the Japanese counter-offensive against the Leyte invasion. For this, he was awarded the Navy Cross.

Following World War II, Copeland resumed his law career while remaining a member of the Naval Reserve, in which he rose to the rank of Rear Admiral.

Robert W. Copeland died at Tacoma, Washington, on August 25, 1973.

USS Copeland (FFG-25) was named in honor of Rear Admiral Robert W. Copeland.

Source: Samuel B. Roberts Survivors Association and Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships

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