World War II Honoree

Robert R. Eyles

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Robin Tush, Ginger Burenin, Thomas E. Eyles

Relationship

Daughters and Son

FIELD ARTILLERY UNIT COMMANDER AND RECONNAISSANCE SURVEY OFFICER. CAMPAIGNS INCLUDED ALGERIA-FRENCH MOROCCO, TUNISIA, SICILY, NAPLES-FOGGIA, ROME-ARNO AND SOUTHERN FRANCE. WOUNDS RECEIVED IN SICILY AND ITALY. RECEIVED SILVER STAR MEDAL AND PURPLE HEART WITH TWO OAK LEAF CLUSTERS. AWARDED THE SILVER STAR FOR GALLANTRY IN ACTION; MORNING OF OCTOBER 14, 1943, NEAR VOLTURNO, ITALY. AS HE WAS MAKING HIS WAY ACROSS OPEN GROUND UNDER MACHINE GUN AND ARTILLERY FIRE, HE WAS KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS BY A MACHINE GUN BULLET THAT WENT THROUGH HIS HELMET. HE REGAINED CONSCIOUSNESS AND ORDERED HIS MEN TO TAKE COVER. HE RETRACED HIS WAY ACROSS THE OPEN GROUND TO REPAIR HIS COMMUNICATION’S WIRE LINE, WHICH WAS CUT. WHILE UNDER CONSTANT FIRE, HE SET UP AN OBSERVATION POST ON A HILL, LEAVING HIS MEN ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE. WHILE TRYING TO MONITOR ENEMY ARTILLERY FIRE, HE WAS WOUNDED BY SHELL FRAGMENTS AND HAD TO EVACUATE. HIS EFFORTS TO ADJUST FRIENDLY ARTILLERY FIRE ADDED TO THE SUCCESS OF THE OPERATION.