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Pvt Robert E. Claffy joined the Regular Army in Chicago, Illinois on 13 August 1943.

He was taken prisoner of war in the vicinity of Sankt-Vith, Belgium on 21 December 1944 and was imprisoned at Stalag IX-B. The stalag was liberated on 4 April 1945 by the U.S Army but Pvt Claffy wasn't present.

On 8 February 1945, together with 350 of the physically fit prisoners, who were Jews, looked like Jews or were deemed "troublemakers" or were grabbed at random because the Nazis needed slave labor, were sent to a Nazi concentration camp at Berga. They arrived at the camp on 13 February 1945. Starting that date the prisoners had to work in terrible conditions.

On 5 April 1945 the camp was evacuated and the prisoners embarked on a march to an unknown destination southward. After a day walking, they were lodged in a school. That night, Pvt Claffy and three other American soldiers died.