Background
Cary, Robert Webster was born on August 18, 1890 in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. Son of Robert Webster and Lalla (Marmaduke) Cary.
naval officer business executive
Cary, Robert Webster was born on August 18, 1890 in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. Son of Robert Webster and Lalla (Marmaduke) Cary.
Robert Cary was born in Kansas City, Missouri. He entered the University of Missouri in the fall of 1908 but left after the first semester of the following year and entered the United States Naval Academy where he graduated in 1914.
He was standing by the first of five boilers that blew up and saved the lives of three men by dragging them out of the boiler room. He also took charge of the situation in the adjacent boiler room, putting out the fires and thus preventing the explosion of these boilers. During World War I, Cary served on the destroyers based at Queenstown, Ireland.
During a hurricane, a depth charge on the fan-tail of United States Ship Sampson broke loose, menacing the safety of the ship.
Together, with three enlisted men, he went to the fan-tail, and they managed to secure this depth charge, including its safety pin, at a great risk of being washed overboard themselves. During the years between World War I and World World War II, Cary served in many capacities and many stations.
He served as the Director of Base Maintenance and in the Office of Chief of Naval Operations where he initiated the establishment of bases at home and abroad at the commencement of World World War World War II Cary also served with great distinction in World World War II when he took part in various campaigns in the European Theater of Operations. On September 11, 1943 Cary was involved in another dramatic naval action when the ship he was commanding, the United States Ship Savannah, was struck by a German radio-controlled Fritz X glide-bomb.
, 21 January 1915, 21 January 1915.
Lieutenant, commenced to take the half-hourly readings of the steam pressure at every boiler. When these fires were hauled under Nos.
1 and 3 boilers, During the entire time.
Member of staff 3d naval district New York, and destroyer, Queenstown, Ireland, 1917-1919. Member Academy of Political Science, American Academy of Political and Social Science, United States Naval Ints., American Legion, Legion of Valor, American Veterans, Phi Delta Theta. Protestant Episcopal.
Clubs: Army Navy, Army Navy Country (Washington), Toledo (O.), Bohemian (San Francisco).
Married Jane McCollum Watt, July 6, 1915 (deceased. Married second Helen Jane Christian, September 7, 1932. Children: Lalla Jane (wife of Commander.