Bio, Shumaker, Robert H.

Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 May 1990 from one or more of
the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence
with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews. Updated by the P.O.W.
NETWORK. 2019 with information from Justin Jackson-Mann. 2023

REMARKS: 730212 RELSD BY DRV

SYNOPSIS: By early January, 1965, following two significant military defeats
at the hands of North Vietnamese guerrilla forces, the Army of the Republic
of South Vietnam was near collapse; U.S. options were either to leave the
country or increase its military activity. President Johnson chose to
escalate. Plans were authorized for a "limited war" that included a bombing
campaign in North Vietnam.

The first major air strike over North Vietnam took place in reaction to Viet
Cong mortaring of an American advisor's compound at Pleiku on February 7,
1965. Eight Americans died in the attack, more than one hundred were
wounded, and ten aircraft were destroyed. President Johnson immediately
launched FLAMING DART I, a strike against the Vit Thu Lu staging area,
fifteen miles inland and five miles north of the demilitarized zone (DMZ).

Thirty-four aircraft launched from the USS RANGER, but were prevented from
carrying out that attack by poor weather, and the RANGER aircraft were not
allowed to join the forty-nine planes from the USS CORAL SEA and USS
HANCOCK, which struck the North Vietnamese army barracks and port facilities
at Dong Hoi.

The strike was judged at best an inadequate reprisal. It accounted for
sixteen destroyed buildings. The cost? The loss of one A4E Skyhawk pilot
from the USS CORAL SEA and eight damaged aircraft.

FLAMING DART II unfolded 11 February after the Viet Cong blew up a U.S.
enlisted men's billet at Qui Nhon, killing twenty-three men and wounded
twenty-one others. Nearly one hundred aircraft from the carriers RANGER,
HANCOCK and CORAL SEA bombed and strafed enemy barracks at Chanh Hoa. Damage
assessments revealed twenty-three of the seventy-six buildings in the camp
were damaged or destroyed. One American pilot was shot down -- LCDR Robert
H. Shumaker.

Shumaker was an F8D pilot assigned to Fighter Squadron 154 on board the USS
CORAL SEA. Shumaker's aircraft was shot down by enemy fire and he was
captured by the North Vietnamese -- the second Navy aviator to be captured.

For the next 8 years, Shumaker was held in various prisoner of war camps,
including the infamous Hoa Lo complex in Hanoi. Shumaker, in fact, dubbed
this complex the "Hanoi Hilton". Shumaker, as a prisoner, was known for
devising all sorts of communications systems and never getting caught. Like
other POWs, he was badgered to write a request for amnesty from Ho Chi Minh,
which he refused to do. As punishment, the Vietnamese forced Shumaker to
stay in a cell with no heat and no blankets during the winter. After about a
week, Shumaker had not relented, and it was forced to kneel for another
week. Finally, he was kneeling on broom handles with boards on his
shoulders. After a month the Vietnamese finally broke him and went on to the
next POW.

Shumaker was was released in Operation Homecoming on February 12, 1973. He
had been promoted to the rank of Commander during his captivity.

Since the war ended, nearly 10,000 reports relating to Americans missing,
prisoner or unaccounted for in Southeast Asia have been received by the U.S.
Government. Many authorities who have examined this largely classified
information are convinced that hundreds of Americans are still held captive
today. These reports are the source of serious distress to many returned
American prisoners. They had a code that no one could honorably return
unless all of the prisoners returned. Not only that code of honor, but the
honor of our country is at stake as long as even one man remains unjustly
held. It's time we brought our men home.

=================
Robert Shumaker retired from the United States Navy as a Rear Admiral. he
and his wife Lorraine reside in Virginia.

11/19/2021
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/washingtonpost/name/lorraine-shumaker-obituary?id=31643056

Hi Guys,

I regularly listen to an Aviation podcast by George Nolly, USAFA 1967, two
tours in Vietnam (0-2) and 100 missions in the F-4. Also George is a retired
777 captain and also 747 and several other big birds.

It's called Ready for Takeoff Podcast. http://readyfortakeoffpodcast.com/
you can listen to it on your phone, or tablet, or just go to the website,
click on the person you want to listen to and then, click on the link and
hear it on your computer.

In the last few months, George has featured Smitty Harris and Bob Shoemaker
who had great stories. This past week he featured Charley Plumb and his also
was a fantastic story-highly entertaining and very inspiring. As you may
know Charlie has been inspiring audiences across the nation and around the
world for many years. He has served us so well by sharing with others the
message of how suffering and sacrifice make us better prepared for life and
better human beings. It's a message all generations need to hear and
especially the younger ones now.

I encourage you to check these podcast out and share them with your family
and friends and others over whom you have influence. Charlie made us proud,
but more important his message is our message and is one that needs wide
dissemination.

George has hosted over 200 interviews with aviators from crop dusters to
Thunderbirds and Blue Angels to WWII pilots and gunners. I've heard most of
them and keep coming back. They are great stories for travelling and
especially for driving in rush-hour traffic.

Cheers,

Lee

Our prayers of condolence and GBU to Bob.

CC: from Bob Shumaker....

My wife Lorraine passed away on 19 November from pancreatic cancer. She was the longest serving POW wife of the war. Here is the eulogy I gave at her funeral.

Sadly,

Bob Shumaker

10 December 2021

Good morning ladies and gentlemen,

I want to eulogize my wife, Lorraine Shumaker, with whom I spent nearly fifty-eight years in blissful marriage. If I don’t make it through this eulogy because of my emotions, I’ll ask my son to substitute.

First of all, thank you for attending this celebratory Mass and thus showing your respect, love and admiration for Lorraine. She was indeed one-of-a-kind! She brought joy to my life and to the lives of so many others.

She was originally a Canadian and I met her in California while she was on vacation. I was blown away with her beauty and outgoing personality and I immediately fell in love with her. We were married a year later in Montreal, Quebec, and a year after that our only child, Grant, was born.

While I was incarcerated as a POW, she earned a degree in nutrition while raising our son. She even travelled to Paris to badger the Vietnamese for better treatment of the POW’s. She even participated in some secret activities in cooperation with the U.S. government.

Finally, after eight long years life became beautiful again for the two of us when we were reunited. She accepted her role as a Navy wife with grace, charm and good humor, and was a perfect hostess on countless occasions at military social events. She loved playing bridge, and I know that God will consider her a Grand Master.

The guiding light in her life was her firm belief in God through her strong Catholic faith, and this sustained her throughout her life, especially so during her recent illness. She will be missed beyond the power of words to convey.

Thank you for your friendship and love for her and for coming here to send her off to a better place. Our loss is heaven’s gain.