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name
HESS, Robert C Jr - Date of
birth
10 July 1921 -
Age
23 - Place of
birth
Athens, Athens County, Ohio -
Hometown
Athens, Athens County, Ohio
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-448054 -
Rank
Captain -
Function
S-3, Operations and Training -
Unit
3rd Battalion,
18th Infantry Regiment,
1st Infantry Division
-
Awards
Silver Star with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
19 April 1945 - Place of
death
Harz mountains, east of Osterode am Harz, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| A | 2 | 11 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Robert C. Hess (father)
Letha (Beasley) Hess (mother)
Elaine Hess (sister)
Kathryn Hess (sister)
More information
Capt Robert C. Hess Jr. graduated from Greenbrier Military School in Lewisburg, West Virginia. He entered Ohio University in 1940. There he was a football player. In 1940 he received his R.O.T.C. commission. At Fort Benning, Georgia, he received his U.S. Army commission as 2nd Lt on 31 May 1942.He was killed by a sniper. At that time he was operations officer of his battalion and was ambushed while driving with his battalion commander from one of the company command posts to the battalion command post. The courage and resourcefulness of Captain Hess is vouched by another officer who reports that "in the Ardennes Forest in December and January, in the bitter cold and deep snow, he distuinguished himself time and time again - his leadership was outstanding. At one time his company was decimated, he and his first sergeant being all that were left to run the company, which was then just a handful of men. He was the best company commander in the 18th Infantry, and as far as I know, in this division - loved by all."
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.ancestry.com - 1940 Census / Albert Matters Family Tree, www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar, The Ohio Alumnus - February 1945
Photo source: www.findagrave.com - Des Philippet, The Ohio Alumnus - Feb 1945, Robert Hess Matters (nephew), Zina, Herman Wolters