World War II Honoree

Robert W. Hains

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Bloomingburg, Ohio

Honored By

Shannon L. Frederickson

Relationship

Granddaughter

ENTERED SERVICE WITH THE U.S. ARMY IN APRIL 1942. AFTER BASIC TRAINING AT FORT BRAGG, NORTH CAROLINA, ATTENDED OFFICER CANDIDATE SCHOOL AT FORT SILL, OKLAHOMA. COMMISSIONED AS A SECOND LIEUTENANT IN OCTOBER 1942 AND PROMOTED TO FIRST LIEUTENANT IN 1943. AFTER TRAINING AT CAMP SHELBY, MISSISSIPPI AND CAMP IRON MOUNTAIN IN THE CALIFORNIA DESERT, DEPARTED FOR OVERSEAS SERVICE IN MARCH 1944. LANDED ON OMAHA BEACH IN NORMANDY, FRANCE ON JUNE 6, 1944. SERVED AS RECONNAISSANCE AND LATER EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF BATTERY A, 941ST FIELD ARTILLERY BATTALION IN FRANCE, BELGIUM AND GERMANY UNTIL THE END OF THE WAR. PARTICIPATED IN THE BATTLES OF NORMANDY, THE FALAISE GAP, THE HUERTGEN FOREST, THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE AND THE RHINE RIVER CROSSING. AWARDED THE BRONZE STAR MEDAL (FOR ACTION AS A FORWARD OBSERVER IN NORMANDY) AND LATER WAS AWARDED A SECOND BRONZE STAR (OAK LEAF CLUSTER) AND THE EUROPEAN THEATER RIBBON WITH INVASION ARROWHEAD AND 5 BATTLE STARS (NORMANDY, NORTHERN FRANCE, RHINELAND, ARDENNES-ALSACE AND CENTRAL EUROPE). RETURNED TO THE U.S. IN OCTOBER 1945 AND WAS SEPARATED FROM THE U.S. ARMY IN JANUARY 1946 WITH THE RANK OF CAPTAIN.