Robert “Bob" Hartline, WWII

Born in 1924 in Reading, PA, Robert “Bob" Hartline was the son of a US Navy WWI Veteran. He had a passion for aviation, and this was evident in his first job, helping to build the hangars for Reading Airport, which are still in use today at the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum. Bob was seventeen years old when he heard the news that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor, and it served as the impetus for him to enlist in the Navy.  He was sworn in in November 1942 and subsequently underwent 17 months of training as a Naval Aviator, during which he was the second youngest in history. Bob missed the youngest title by two days to fellow TBM Avenger pilot, future President George H.W. Bush.  

He later joined the Marines and became a fighter pilot with the VRF-1 Ferry Squadron, spending the first half of 1945 ferrying aircraft…