A graduate of St. Martin’s College, Olympia, Washington, and currently doing graduate work at Stanford University, Chief Boatswain Robinett enlisted in the Navy in 1927. In 1938 he was appointed a warrant officer. In 1943 he was retired for physical disability and released to inactive duty in 1945. His wartime duties included minesweeper and tugboat assignments in the Pacific and training duties at Great Lakes.