Defender on the Football Field, the Battlefield, and the Oil Field

By Philip Drescher

Robert "Bob" K. Aaker

August 7, 1922 – April 26, 2007

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Robert Keith Aaker (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/24986001/robert-keith-aaker)

Robert "Bob" Aaker was born in Hatton, Trail County, North Dakota in 1922 to parents Carl Edvin Aaker and Eina Aaker. He graduated high school from Larimore, and attended the University of North Dakota, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Geology. Robert also played football in high school and was awarded “letters” for his stellar performance on the field.[1] After he graduated, he served in the US Army Air Corps in World War II, stationed in England. Robert was a flight engineer and technical Sergeant with the 734th Bomb Squadron of the 453rd Bomb Group, flying missions out of Old Buckenham, England.[2]

         Robert enlisted in the draft in June of 1942. The 453rd Bomb Squadron deployed for England in December 1943, and participated in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany with Eighth Air Force, beginning in February 1944.[3] The Squadron completed 82 consecutive missions without a loss, a record for Eighth Air Force bomber units.[4] Robert and the squadron also engaged in multiple air support and air interdiction missions, such as: bombed V-1 flying bomb and V-2 rocket launch sites, bombed airfields and coastal defense guns to prepare for Operation Overlord, and most notably, the invasion of Normandy. On D-Day, it struck coastal fortifications between Le Havre and Cherbourg and enemy positions inland from the landing area.[5] The squadron also bombed German lines of communication during the Battle of the Bulge, one of the largest German offensive pushes of the war, in December 1944 and January 1945.[6]

Robert returned to the United States after the war, and married Bernita Erbele in North Dakota in 1946.[7] The two would be married for 60 years, eventually leaving North Dakota and putting down roots in the states of Texas and Colorado throughout their lives together. Robert worked for Conoco for 36 years, weathering the company’s ups and downs. When Conoco and Du Point merged, many employees were unhappy, but Robert kept a positive outlook on the situation and was quoted in The Wall Street Journal stating, “It hasn’t been such a bad deal.” He also expressed that he was happy that Du Point had not second-guessed his work.[8]

Robert and his family returned to Houston, Texas after a stint in Colorado, when their son, Steve, was signed on to play basketball for the University of Texas; Robert worked as an oil engineer.[9] Robert enjoyed many hobbies, most of which involved his family. His family always came first and were the pride and joy of his life. His other hobbies included a love for geology, genealogy, music, astronomy, computers, and photography.[10]

Robert passed away after a battle with lung cancer on April 26, 2007, in Littleton, Colorado. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Bernita Erbele Aaker, and children, Steven Aaker and Kristin Flanagan. Robert currently rests in Fort Logan National Cemetery, and his legacy is survived by numerous family and friends.[11]

Footnotes ↓

[1] “N.D. Awards an Average of 16 Letters,” Minneapolis Star-Journal, Star Tribune Media Company LLC, December 3, 1939, https://du.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/december-3-1939-page-22-104/docview/1848968728/se-2?accountid=14608.

[2] “American Air Museum in Britain,” Robert Keith Aaker, American Air Museum in Britain, accessed August 8, 2021, https://www.americanairmuseum.com/person/192303.

[3] Ibid.

[4] R.J. Overy, The Air War: 1939–1945 (Potomac Books, 2004), 8–14.

[5] Ed Maurer, ed., Combat Squadrons of the Air Force: World War II (Washington, D.C.: Office of Air Force History,1982).

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ancestry.com, North Dakota, U.S., Select County Marriage Records, 1872-2017 [database on-line], Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.

[8] “Du Pont, Once a Hero, Has Become a Villain, Many at Conoco Feel But Others Are Less Upset,” Wall Street Journal, June 16, 1982, https://du.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/mergers-aftermath/docview/134705905/se-2?accountid=14608.

[9] “Top Cager Signs,” The Austin Statesman, May 10, 1968, https://du.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/colorado-texas/docview/1515230557/se-2?accountid=14608.

[10] Nancy Ronningen, “Robert Keith Aaker (1922-2007) - Find A Grave...,” Find a Grave, March 1, 2008, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/24986001/robert-keith-aaker.

[11] Ibid.

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