LCDR Robert Ernest Tasler, USN (Retired)

Robert Tasler, 77, of Marshalltown IA, left on his final flight early in the morning of Wednesday, May 25, 2016 at the Iowa Veterans Home. He was born on July 31, 1938 in Marshalltown; he was the oldest child born to Ernest and Edith (Pegg) Tasler. He attended school in Liscomb, Conrad, Taylor #4, (a one-room schoolhouse), Green Mountain, Liberty Township Consolidated Schools, and graduated from Marshalltown High School in 1956. Three days following graduation, he entered the Navy's Great Lakes Boot Camp.

Robert had a colorful military history including: Norman, OK, Class C School; Norfolk, VA, Radar School; Glynco, GA, Airborne CIC School, Barbers Point, HI, with VW-14 developing the initial Cold War barrier; in Guam for VW-3 training for two years; flew weather missions (into typhoons); radar coverage for the 7th Fleet in the Pacific; and flew as an ACW3 in the EC-121 (Willy Victor). This tour was completed in July of 1959. Bob attend Marshalltown
Junior College for two years before transferring to NW Missouri State University in Maryville, completing his business degree and graduating in 1963.

On February 1, 1963, at the Conrad United Methodist Church, he was united in marriage to the love of his life, Linda Beeghly. In November following his marriage, he went to Pensacola, FL, to attend flight officer training for 14 weeks and then to Glynco, GA, for six weeks before Corpus Christi and Barbers Point, HI. When the Cold War barrier closed in 1965, he went to San Diego to fly the new E-2A carrier-based aircraft as a Naval Flight Officer. He was deployed with DET Alpha, then VAW-116 on the USS Coral Sea for two tours in Vietnam. Robert was a plankowner in VAW-116.
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Robert served as a shore instructor in Glynco from March 1968 to March 1970 before reporting to the USS Kitty Hawk to serve on the staff of 7th Fleet from December 1971 to June 1974. From July 1977 to July 1978 and from December 1980 to March 1982 he was stationed in Korea.
He did another tour in San Diego from August 1978 to November 1980. He retired in 1983 following a tour in Chicago. He said many times following retirement when world events would require the help of the US Navy, he wished he could go.

Robert thoroughly enjoyed fishing, especially with his fishing buddy Verne Biggs. He and Linda were blessed with years of traveling and time together seeing their kids and grandkids grow. He was a member of the American Legion and a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Left to cherish his life are Linda, his loving wife of 53 years; his daughter Kirsten (Joel) Dannen of Linn Valley, KS; son Scott (Deirdre) Tasler of Bristow, VA; grandchildren Rachel (Scott) Rigdon of Dallas, TX; Julie (A.J.) Fitzgerald of Leesville, VA; Zachary Tasler, US Army, stationed in Afghanistan; Clay Tasler of the University of Iowa; and Paige Tasler at home in Bristow, VA; and many friends and relatives.

In death, Robert rejoined his parents, sister LeAnne Large, and brother, Richard Tasler.