When Bob King joined StoneBridge Trucking in 2018, he hit the ground running. There wasn’t very much grass growing under his feet when he was asked to jump in a cargo van and head to Michigan for a hot-shot load for one of StoneBridge’s top customers. Along with this, winter had begun in Indiana, which meant it had established itself in Michigan. Unfortunately, Bob hit the road so fast that a few key details of his past were missed. Bob was a US Navy Veteran and had proudly served in the 1960s. This significant detail went undisclosed for quite some time. Luckily today, his proud story will no longer be private. Thanks to Bob, these interesting years have been divulged for the StoneBridge family and their customers to enjoy and appreciate.
In the Spring of 1964, Bob was about to graduate from high school and was not focused on college. The son of Roy & Dorothy “Dot” King he was born and raised in Oldenburg, IN. Sharing a home with two brothers and a sister, he was ready to move on with his life after high school. While interested in the prospects of getting his education, he fought with the same reservations many face when entering the real world as a teenager. “I considered college but wasn’t interested in it at that point in my life. My older brother was a Navy Veteran, and I felt this was a better option for me.” While contemplating this decision, he found it to be a much easier choice to consider when he discovered his close friend sharing the same aspirations. His best friend wanted to also join the US Navy. On a hot summer afternoon, they both took the oath to serve their country together.
In June 1964, Seaman Robert King enlisted as a Boatswain Mate. He attended boot camp at Naval Station Great Lakes as a member of Company 252, which would receive recognition as the Color Company. After graduating from boot camp, he was stationed in Norfolk, VA with the Nuclear Weapons Training Center as a communications carrier. In September of 65, after one year on dry land, he boarded the USS Nimble in Charleston, SC. Upon assuming his duties on the ship, he learned the Nimble would have a 6-month deployment to the Mediterranean and eventually take port in Naples and Barcelona.
While in Barcelona, the mission of the USS Nimble would take a turn when a US Air Force refueling mission would go array. “The Nimble was a minesweeper. Our sole purpose was to protect the fleet. The Air Force had a refueling mission that resulted in a crash in which a nuclear weapon was aboard the plane that crashed”. While this info certainly will cause one to raise a brow in interest, what was disclosed next would allow this particular story to resonate with many around the world. Why? Because they either read the book or watched the movie!
In 2000, the mission that Bob King was a part of was depicted in the Hollywood Blockbuster “Men of Honor” starring Cuba Gooding Jr. and Robert Dinero. In one scene, Cuba Gooding Jr’s character was a Navy Diver in search of the lost nuclear warhead.
While Bob was not granted a cameo in the movie, he certainly remembers the mission vividly and is proud of his service during it. Along with his time in the Mediterranean, he also spent time in other global locations, including Naples, Barcelona, and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
After receiving an Honorable Discharge from the Navy in September of 1967, Bob returned to Oldenburg and eventually landed with StoneBridge Trucking. He sees a connection between his Naval service and those that work at StoneBridge. “I loved the travel and friendships in the military. Today I get to work with many fellow veterans at StoneBridge and enjoy hearing their stories”. “I also appreciate how people treat us when they read the back of our fleet vehicles”. The straight trucks and vans in the StoneBridge Fleet read “American Veteran Owned – American Veteran Driven.” Because of veterans like Bob King, we are American Veteran Driven.
