World War II Honoree

Robert Heatley

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

SERVED AS A TANK DRIVER IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER IN ITALY WITH A TANK UNIT. PARTICIPATED IN FOUR CAMPAIGNS. HIS TANK GROUP SUFFERED AN 85 PERCENT CASUALTY TURNOVER RATE WITH ABOUT 50 PERCENT OF THOSE BEING FATALITIES. THE TANKS IN HIS UNIT WERE NO MATCH FOR THE GERMAN TANKS IN FIREPOWER OR IN ARMOR PROTECTION, BUT WERE ABLE TO OUTMANEUVER THE GERMANS WHO WERE SHORT OF GASOLINE, AND ALSO THE AMERICANS HAD SUPERIOR NUMBERS OF TANKS. AWARDED THE GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 4 BRONZE SERVICE STARS, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. HONORABLY DISCHARGED AFTER THE WAR AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON. LATER, RECALLED TO ACTIVE DUTY AND SERVED UNTIL AGAIN HONORABLY DISCHARGED.