NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. - Robert K. Arant, Jr., 88, a retired Navy CWO-4, husband of the late Dorothy Kemmerlin Arant, entered into rest Tuesday, May 3, 2005 at St. Joseph Hospital. Funeral services will be held at 2:30 p.m. Friday, May 6, 2005 in the chapel of Rowland Funeral Home. The family will receive friends at the funeral home one hour prior to the service. Interment will be at Arlington National Cemetery on August 4, 2005. Mr. Arant was born July 8, 1916 in Orangeburg, SC. He was the oldest son of Robert K. and Georgean C. Arant. Mr. Arant enlisted in the U. S. Navy in October of 1935 and completed recruit training at the U. S. Naval Station, Norfolk, VA. He proceeded steadily through the enlisted grades from Seaman Apprentice to Chief Gunner's Mate, then to Warrant Officer (W-1) onto Commissioned Warrant Officer (CWO-4). He retired from U. S. Navy at that rank on August 1, 1966 after thirty-one years of service. During those thirty-one years he served in many different ships and countries. His ships and shore stations included the USS Partridge (AM-16), Submarine Base Coco Solo, Canal Zone, Panama, "S" Type Submarines, U.S.S. Lark (AM-21), U.S.S. Quail (AM-15), U.S.S. Breese (DM-18), U.S.S. Preble (DM 20), U.S.S. Medusa (AR-2), Naval Station Attu, Alaska (E. O. D. and Deep Sea Diver), U. S. S. Orion (AS-18), U. S. S. Wrangell (AE-12), Nuclear Weapons Base, Clarksville, TN, U. S. S. Providence (CLG-6), and Naval Shipyard, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. He was a veteran of World War II, The Korean War Era, and Vietnam. He was at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 aboard the USS Breese (DM-18) when Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japan. He was the recipient of the Good Conduct Medal (6 Stars), American Defense (Fleet Clasp) Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Theater Medal (5 Stars), American Theater Medal, World War II Victory Medal, National Defense Medal (1 Star), Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, and the Combat Action Ribbon. After his retirement, he and his family settled in New York City. He was employed with various companies in the electronic field. His first wife, Rose Teresa Zukowski Arant, died in 1980. Mr. Arant retired from civilian employment and moved to North Augusta, SC, in 1981. He was a member of the Retired Officers Association, American Legion Post 63, Veterans of Foreign Wars. He is registered in the Navy Memorial Log in Washington, DC. Survivors include a son, Daniel R. Arant of Annapolis MD; step-son, Jim Wadford of Columbia, SC; step-daughter, Tessa Cook of Mt. Pleasant, SC; three brothers, Mike Arant, Sr., of North Augusta, SC; Jim Arant of Orangeburg, SC; and Albert "Rock" Arant of Sterling, VA. Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, 2623 Washington Road, Augusta, GA 30904. Rowland Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Sign the guestbook at AugustaChronicle.com
The Augusta Chronicle May 5, 2005
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