Robert Jarvis was born in Muskegon, Michigan in September 1923. He had one younger brother and one younger sister. His brother served in World War 2 and they had a reunion in Manila [Annotator’s Note: Manila, the Philippines] in 1945. His father worked in a wallpaper and paint store during the Great Depression [Annotator's Note: the Great Depression was a global economic depression that lasted from 1929 through 1939 in the United States], and he was able to provide for his family. Jarvis was not aware of his economic situation because everyone he knew was in the same situation. He was in his final year of high school preparing to graduate in February 1942, and he was working in the mailing room at the local newspaper before the war broke out. He was home listening to the New York Philharmonic Orchestra on the radio when he heard the news about Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941]. Jarvis, his brother, and a friend went down to the newspaper office and grabbed extras to sell on the main streets. He was shocked by the news and remarked that the whole country’s view of going to war changed dramatically. His whole graduating class tried to get into the service. Jarvis had registered for the draft, but got a waiver to enlist in the Marine Corps. However, he was turned down because of his eyesight. He tried to join the Navy, but was again refused due to his eyesight. Jarvis ended up being drafted into the Army in December 1942. He had wanted to join the Navy because he wanted to work with small boats.

After being inducted and receiving his uniforms at Camp Grant, Illinois, Robert Jarvis was interviewed by Army officers regarding his background. When they learned that Jarvis had considerable experience in handling small boats, he was sent to Fort Devens [Annotator’s Note: Fort Devens, Massachusetts] for two and a half months of basic training. After basic training, Jarvis was sent to Camp Edwards, Massachusetts for training with the Army's Amphibious Command in 1942. At Camp Edwards, Jarvis received navigation training while other members of his new unit, Company B, 1st Battalion, 534th Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment, 4th Engineer Special Brigade, were sent to specialty schools. He was promoted to squad leader and managed five boats and the squad of men. After intensive training, during which the focus was on landing men and materials on hostile beaches, Jarvis prepared for overseas deployment.

Robert Jarvis’ regiment [Annotator’s Note: 534th Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment, 4th Engineer Special Brigade] used LCVPs [Annotator's Note: Landing Craft Vehicle, Personnel or LCVP; also known as the Higgins boat], LCPs [Annotator’s Note: Landing Craft Personnel (Large)], and LCMs [Annotator’s Note: Landing Craft Mechanized (LCM)]. He remarked on the various upgrades and differences between the vehicles he drove during combat. He thought the LCM was well suited for the operations he was performing during World War 2. He received training in Cape Cod, Massachusetts during the summer of 1943. He was trained in how to shoot anti-aircraft guns using towed targets. He also made practice landings on Martha’s Vineyard [Annotator’s Note: Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts]. In the fall he was shipped to Carrabelle, Florida and practiced amphibious landings. Many troops developed seasickness and were given dramamine to help. Jarvis’s previous experience in boats helped him through training. The pilots who pulled the tow targets were women because male pilots were sent overseas for combat duty. He once had to pick up two soldiers from his battalion that had gone AWOL [Annotator's Note: absent without leave] in October 1943. In December 1943, he received a furlough [Annotator's Note: an authorized absence for a short period of time] and then when he reported back to base, he was shipped to the West Coast.

In February 1944, Robert Jarvis’ regiment [Annotator’s Note: 534th Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment, 4th Engineer Special Brigade] was sent to Kaiser Shipyards on the West Coast for 10 days to learn to weld and rivet. Then he boarded the USS West Point (AP-23) in San Francisco [Annotator’s Note: San Francisco, California] and steamed for Sydney, Australia without an escort. They arrived 15 days later. The ship was huge, but it was crowded with U.S. troops and Australian fliers that had been training in the United States. Their accommodations aboard ship were canvas bunks stacked five-high. The ship served two meals a day with long lines. Jarvis was given the duty of closing the portholes at night, so that no light was visible from outside. His battalion equipment came over to Australia in pieces. After going ashore in Sydney in April 1944, the battalion was taken by train to Brisbane [Annotator’s Note: Brisbane, Australia]. There, Jarvis learned that there was a 97-foot sailing vessel that the Army was sending up to Hollandia, New Guinea. He volunteered for service aboard the boat and was accepted. He worked with a lot of Chinese men who welded and riveted parts of the ship. The trip up to Hollandia took many weeks after which he was sent back to Brisbane. It was a very informal experience. They wore shorts and everyone ate together. They would do pub crawls twice a day while they were waiting on parts to repair the ship. He saw a Japanese person for the first time at an air base. He was a prisoner of war and looked like he was in bad shape. He spent another two months in Brisbane, and a week at a rest camp run by the Red Cross [Annotator's Note: Red Cross, an international non-profit humanitarian organization].

After resting in Australia, Robert Jarvis’ regiment [Annotator’s Note: 534th Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment, 4th Engineer Special Brigade] spent another two months in Brisbane [Annotator’s Note: Brisbane, Australia] and then shipped out to take part in support operations on Luzon [Annotator’s Note: Luzon, the Philippines]. In Luzon, Jarvis was a boat squad leader with four LCM(s) landing craft [Annotator’s Note: Landing Craft Mechanized (LCM)] and 20 men under his command. Their job was to deliver men and supplies to the beaches. He had Filipino guards keeping an eye on the supplies and the ships. While in Luzon, Jarvis walked into his tent one day and saw his younger brother, a cavalryman in the 1st Cavalry Division, sleeping in his bunk. The Jarvis brothers were able to spend a few weeks together before going their separate ways. He and his brother were invited to dinner by a local man. One of his best friends was killed by the Japanese on Luzon. They had trapped his friend in a building and set it on fire with other Americans. Jarvis did not find out about this until after he returned to the United States. His friend’s body was later recovered and sent back to the United States and buried in a mass grave with other American troops.

In the summer of 1945, Robert Jarvis’ unit [Annotator’s Note: 534th Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment, 4th Engineer Special Brigade] began training with the 25th Infantry Division for the planned invasion of Japan. Before the invasion was necessary, however, the Japanese surrendered, and the war ended. After Jarvis learned that the Japanese were murdering prisoners, he developed a hatred for them. He was still in Manila [Annotator’s Note: Manila, the Philippines] and was coming back from a trip when he heard that the Japanese had surrendered. Everyone was celebrating. Following the surrender, Jarvis spent several weeks in Japan on occupation duty. He believes that dropping the atomic bombs [Annotator's Note: nuclear weapons dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, 6 and 9 August 1945] was the right thing to do. His job during occupation was dismantling Japanese equipment stationed in various areas and then dumping it in the ocean. He finally earned enough points [Annotator's Note: a point system was devised based on a number of factors that determined when American servicemen serving overseas could return home] to go home. While he was stationed in Japan, he went to get some beer and had an interesting experience conversing with the Japanese until they figured out what he wanted. In December 1945, Jarvis left Japan aboard the USS Admiral Hugh Rodman (AP-126) and headed back to the United States. In January 1946, he arrived in California. He was sent by train to Fort Sheridan, Illinois where he was discharged from the Army as a staff sergeant. Jarvis took advantage of the G.I. Bill [Annotator's Note: the G.I. Bill, or Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, was enacted by the United States Congress to aid United States veterans of World War 2 in transitioning back to civilian life and included financial aid for education, mortgages, business starts and unemployment] and attended college. He met his future wife at college. He did not have difficulty transitioning from soldier life to civilian life.

Robert Jarvis’ most memorable experience of World War 2 was seeing his brother in Manila [Annotator’s Note: Manila, the Philippines]. He served because he felt he needed to protect his country. His service helped him grow up and mature. He has always been very focused and driven. He believes the G.I. Bill [Annotator's Note: the G.I. Bill, or Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, was enacted by the United States Congress to aid United States veterans of World War 2 in transitioning back to civilian life and included financial aid for education, mortgages, business starts and unemployment] was a wonderful benefit to World War 2 veterans. Jarvis is proud of his service and glad he did his part. He stayed very active in his regimental unit. Jarvis got along well with the Filipinos and felt sorry for them because they were poor and hungry. He believes there should be institutions like the National WWII Museum [Annotator's Note: The National World War II Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana], and that we should continue to teach World War 2 to future generations because kids today do not understand the meaning of sacrifice.