obert Eugene Singer *1914-1984* K2LEM of Trenton NJ - Gene born in Clark Summit,
PA and one of 8 kids. Our subject is one of the Forgotten Men of our generation. The USMM How little we know of these gifted people. Gene as he was known by the family at times had acigarette or drink in his hand, referred to as a hell raiser in hisday. Loved having fun and having a good time. He had a jokeon his lips to tell. Was an avid card player with his family all
through the years.

RMy first recollection of Gene was as a young teen, he had aquality station. He was a great morse operator and stood out
because of his classy call and knack of phrasing with a fine fist
for the code. Bob as he used over the air on the bands enjoyedbeing around people. His automatic keyer, an early Eldico
model had a large red paddle that really marched along with thedots and dashes.
I was fortunate to have Mr. Singer’s and others encouragement
to continue on in the game and upgrade my license. Hams were
just that way in those days. Further, Bob and his wife Virginiawelcomed me into their home and we have many fondmemories of those early days. The Singer’s had two sons and a sweet daughter, Margie K2UTS.
Margie was bright, entertaining and a good friend. She had so many interests, I couldn’t count themall. The thing that amazed me was their family
love for nature, raising pets and had a great
hobby of bee keeping! Yes, smoke those lil
critters and calm em down. Those hives pay
sweet dividends.
I learned a lot about life through Bob and manyof his ham friends were mine over the years.
Through Bob’s generosity, would invite me outon many occasions and since I had no car, hewas always willing to pick me up and allow meto tag along. Family trips out to visit friends on
Long Island, to the shore and just plain eye ball
QSO’s. It was a welcome escape from a sweltering second floor tenement building mid summer onbusy Hamilton Avenue in Trenton.
Your author as a young teen in Trenton was in the middle of what I thought of a unsolvable situation
at home. Bob said “The Coast Guard is a good place to start out.” He knew what he was talking
about because his son Bobby was on a Cutter out of Cape May called the Sassafras. It wasn’t much
longer and I was on my way to Cape May for a four year enlistment in the Coast Guard. I needed myparents consent tho which came easily. Recruit training took a lot out of a seaman and in that 12weeks it had taken a toll on our 40 man company of regulars. Charlie 37, late summer of 1958, I
remember it like yesterday. Many dropped out for one reason or another.
I can see Bob’s furrowed brow because of his early USN duty & sailing Merchant Marine days toand from Arabia, South America - the sweltering heat etc. He advised it was so bad , he would neverlive without air conditioning again! Continued...

Our ships those days didn’t have many of those creature comforts. He chatted about Manhattan’sradio row frequently and what a great place it was picking up parts and military surplus. In later years
I became a student of “Radio Row!” But this wasn’t the whole story, Bob Eugene was a memberof the “Forgotten Heroes” The U.S. Merchant Marine.
I am indebted to this man because of his guidance. Most of my equipment was war surplus, earphones, the key, the supplies and receiver were the old school installed in B17s and B24 bombers.
Purchased used from war surplus inventory. They were single band jobs, mine tuned from 3 to 6MHZ., plus 6 to 9 MHZ. They were tricky to use and had very little filtering.
Gene as he was known by his family, Robert Gene started out with a four year hitch in the U.S. Navycirca 1930's. He was assigned on a four stacker destroyer the USS Gilmer out of NY radio call
NERB. He saw service on the east coast, the Canal Zone and the west coast. During WW2 Bobentered the U.S. Merchant Marines, he attended the USMM Academy in New London and as nearas we can tell his first duty assignment close to 1943 was the SS Hadnot radio call KOGP, theHadnot was a tanker and something that was endangered by the German U-boats on the Atlantic.
Bob proudly wrote home in 1944 when he was chosen to be one ofthe officers assigned aboard the brand new SS Wahoo Swamp a T2
Tanker built in Mississippi. Can you believe, the Wahoo Swampwas renamed 2 times before she was stricken from the records. I am
entertained by that name, which was chosen because of an Indian
war with the Seminoles in 1836. Wahoo Swamp was one of 500
ships constructed to carry oil products circa WWII. Mr. Singers
daughter remembers driving up to port in New Jersey with her momand brothers to meet her dad who was out on the high seas
Merchant Marine in the fuel tanker trade for Cities Service Corp.
HR Bill 23 has been laying around for a few years now, it details around 500 million for thesurvivors of “The Forgotten Hero’s of WW2" I hope it passes soon. Bob isn’t around to enjoy thefleeting bit of fame but I do think he would be very pleased. Lets fund the USMM the benefits theydeserve. Margie, Bob’s daughter recently received Mr. Singer’s USMM impressive medals.
Bob was a good embassador for ham
radio, he helped many obtain theirtickets and stations, he expired in 1984of heart problems, thus the end of afine patriot.
We miss that familiar call “K2LEM”
on the 80 Meter band. He still has ourutmost respect. With generous help ofMargie E. Wenski, K2UTS – Bob
Singers’ daughter.
W8SU 2008