DOB/DOD: February 10, 1922 (Plainville, CT) – February 19, 1945; 23 years old
LOCAL ADDRESS: Unmarried
LOCAL ADDRESS: 73 East Broad Street, Plainville
ENLISTMENT: August 18, 1942, in Springfield, Massachusetts
SERVICE NUMBER: 442281
UNIT: Recon Company, Headquarters Battalion, 4th Marine Division
MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY: 0746, Automatic Rifleman; and 0761, Scout–Sniper
STATUS: MISSING IN ACTON
FAMILY: Born to Joseph (1891-1974) and Rosina Leduc Robidoux (1892-1977). The middle child of three children. Two brothers, Francis (1919-1972) and William (1923-2017). 1 Worked at Trumbull Electric Co. in Plainville prior to the service. 4
CIRCUMSTANCES: Boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina. Assigned the 3rd Marine Division, 21st Marines (Reinforced) in early 1943. In April 1943, he was assigned to the 4th Tank Battalion, Company B, in the 24th Marines. That unit was stationed at Camp Pendleton, Oceanside, California. In October of 1943, he was assigned to the 4th Marine Division, Special Troops, Headquarters Battalion, Company D (Scout), and then the Recon Company in the same unit. 7
From MissingMarines.com
Missing in Action and presumed dead on February 19, 1946, exactly one year after he was last seen. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) lists him as “Non-Recoverable.” 3
From The Poplar Bluff (Missouri) Republican July 20, 1944
By Technical Sergeant Martin Kivel, of 476 Fulton Avenue, Hempstead, New York, a Marine Corps Combat Correspondent, formerly of the New York Daily News
Naylor Man Gave One Jap Real Surprise
Saipan, Marianas Islands (Delayed). – This is a story about the most embarrassed Jap on this island and how a trio of Marines relieves him of his embarrassment. It was 3 o’clock in the morning when a Japanese soldier sneaked up on a foxhole occupied by Corporal Charles D. Rose, 26, of Naylor, Missouri, and Privates First Class Armand J. Robidoux, 22, of Plainville, Connecticut, and Norman U. McMahan, 22, of Medford, Oregon. The visitor was discovered by Corporal Rose, who, after hearing a rifle bolt rattle, peered into the darkness and discovered that he was looking into the business end of the Jap’s weapon. For some reason, the Jap didn’t fire. The corporal didn’t reason why. He just let loose with his own weapon and was soon joined by his foxhole buddies. In the morning, the Marines discovered why the Jap hadn’t fired. He couldn’t. His rifle was clogged with sand.
Citation to accompany the award of the Silver Star Medal 1
For action during World War II, Marine Corps, Corporal, Headquarters Battalion, 4th Marine Division, General order number 031105, August 16, 1945.
The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Corporal Armand J. Robidoux (MCSN: 442281), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity as a Member of an Advanced Reconnaissance Team, serving with the Headquarters Battalion, Fourth Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, on 17 February 1945. Assigned the hazardous mission of obtaining information concerning landing beaches and shore installations, Corporal Robidoux unhesitatingly set about the task in the face of withering barrages of hostile artillery and automatic weapons fire and, boldly carrying out the reconnaissance despite grave hazards, succeeded in gaining valuable data and information of the landing beaches which aided materially in saving the lives of other Marines during the assault landing. By his determined perseverance, cool courage, and outstanding ability, Corporal Robidoux contributed immeasurably to the success of his team in the fulfillment of an important mission, and his unswerving devotion to duty was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Story shared via Facebook on the “Plainville Talks” page between Donna Ierardi Petosa of Plainville and Elaine Schieffer, Treasurer and Acting Secretary of the Iwo Jima Memorial Historical Foundation related to the history of “Robidoux Drive” in Plainville CT:
“The area I live in is called Honor Heights, and each street was named after a Plainville WWII veteran who was killed during the war. The area was farmland belonging to my deceased husband’s aunt and uncle, Helen and Tony Lippia. Their son developed the land and built the houses and named the streets, but all are deceased.” 8
Memorialized in a family plot at Saint Joseph’s Cemetery, 182 Farmington Avenue, Plainville, Connecticut; Section D, Lot 13. Photo by Jeff DeWitt.
Memorialized at the Honolulu Memorial, Courts of the Missing, Court 4, 2177 Puowaina Drive. Honolulu, Hawaii. 6 Photo from FindAGrave.com.
1 – 1940 census https://www.ancestry.com/cs/1940-census
2– https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/42225
3 – https://www.dpaa.mil/Portals/85/Documents/WWIIAccounting/united_states_marine_corps.html
4 – https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2238
5 – USMC Casualty Report received via FOIA request
6 – https://abmc.gov
7 – USMC Muster Rolls: https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1089/
8 – Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/TgN28TUsMexDTRey5