3Oct1921 – 14Apr1945
Edison Days
Robert graduated with the Class of June 1939.
Military Service
Rank: Corporal
Branch: United States Army
Unit: Company M – 87th Moutain Infantry Regiment – 10th Mountain Division
Robert enlisted in the Army in May 1943. It is unknown where he attended basic training. After basic training he was assigned to the 87th Mountain Infantry Regiment. It is likely that he joined the unit in 1944 and spent time training at Camp Hale, North of Leadville, Colorado. The 10th Mountain Division was specially trained to fight in mountainous terrain by learning skills such as skiing, snowshoeing, and climbing. Skills that would serve them well in the mountains of Italy.
On 3Jan1945, Robert and the 87th, embarked at Newport News, Virginia bound for Italy. 10 days later they landed in Naples. On 27Jan1945, the 87th would enter combat. Over the next 2-1/2 months Robert would participate in several phases of the Appennine’s Campaign.
1. Early Patrols, ending on February 18
2. Riva Ridge – February 18 – February 25
3. Mt. Belvedere – February 19 – March 2
4. March Offensive – March 3 – March 6
6. Consolidation – March 7 – April 13
On April 14, the 6th phase of the campaign began. Referred to as the Spring Offensive, it would be Robert’s last campaign.
The following excerpt is from History of the 87th Mountain Infantry in Italy published in 1945.
It was a tense morning for the regiment. The two previous offensives, with their initial surprises, had started off with great speed and the first objectives taken ahead of schedule. This time the enemy had expected the attack. He was ready, deep in the ground safe from our artillery, and he was ready behind sandbags and stone for our riflemen. By noon, scores of casualties had gone through the 1st Battalion aid station, and the little town of Torre Iussi still held out athwart the regiment’s route to its initial objective, Hill 903. From the thick stone-walled buildings in the pines, bullets spit all over the valley, not only holding off Company B, but searching the approach trails and pinning down the rest of the battalion and firing into the flank of the 86th on the right of the 87th. Not only in Company B had casualties been heavy, but also the long column approaching the line of departure had been pounded as the men inched forward on the exposed slopes. Even back over the Montesinistro ridge at the head of the narrow valley, where the heavy weapons had pulled back on the lifting of their supporting fire, shellfire caused casualties.
Back in the regimental CP, Lieutenant Colonel SCHMELZER and Captain ARTHUR
BRODEUR were poring over the S-3 operations map, coloring with a red or yellow crayon each
advance of the 1st Battalion. For more than two hours the map lay untouched while the ringing telephones brought bad news, but little good. For a while it looked as though the attack had failed. Company M, out of the fight after its supporting role, was eating rations and congratulating themselves on the lack of counter-battery fire. Without warning, a short concentration of shells came in, killing S/Sgt. WALTER R. HUCKABEE, Sgt. ROBERT W. STROMBERG, and Pfc. MARVIN D. LEDBETTER. Wounded were S/Sgt. ROLAND E. CLARK, Sgt. RAYMOND W. HUGHES, and Pfc. JOE ADAMS, Pfc. DENZEL R. EAREHART, Pfc. LEAROYD A. HOOVER, Pfc. JAMES R. MORECRAFT, Pfc. ARVO SUORSA and Pfc. ROLAND A WEIPERT. Sgt.
STROMBERG had just been ordered to leave the battle for Officer Candidate School but hadn’t been reached before he was killed.
Robert was 1 of 110 soldiers of the 87th killed in the 3-day long Spring Offensive.
Robert was initially buried in a temporary military cemetery in Italy. In November 1948 Roberts remains were among 145 Minnesotan’s killed in Italy to be returned to Minnesota.
On 24Nov1948 reburial services were held for Robert.
Robert is buried at Hillside Cemetery in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Edison Heroes 