Memorial

More information

Robert George Beckman was born in Buffalo, Erie County, New York on 4 August 1925. He was the fifth of seven children born to Samuel Joseph Beckman and Margaret Rose (Schneider) Beckman, originally of Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania and by 1940 living in Lake View, New York.
He was called Bob by family and also had a nickname of "Sleep," the origins of the name remain a mystery. Robert lost his oldest sister in a bicycle accident in 1938. He raised chickens during high school and joined the Regular Army Reserve on 15 June 1943 in Buffalo, New York, two months before his 18th birthday. Two older brothers, Paul Chester Beckman and Samuel John Beckman also served in the Army, and their older sister Gertrude Beckman was stateside as a Pharmacist's Mate in the Women's Air Corps. All but Robert returned home safely after the war ended.
Robert had been in love with his high school sweetheart, Phyllis, and talked to his father about getting married before he would leave for Europe. His dad discouraged him, his reasoning was that if Bob were to be killed it would leave her a widow.
Robert jumped with the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne in the Holland Market Garden Operation in September 1944. He was interrupted by General Gavin who caught him stealing socks off a Dutch clothesline not too many weeks later. When he showed the General his chafed, bloodied and sockless feet inside his boots, the General dismissed him back to camp with a reprimand. But the next day delivered two pairs of new socks to Pvt Robert G. Beckman, something Robert wrote home about.
Robert was injured on 4 January 1945 at Arbrefontaine and died of wounds four days later on 8 January 1945. When his father was asked if he wanted Robert's body disinterred and returned to New York for burial, Sam Beckman felt his son was already at rest and gave permission to have Robert permanently interred at Henri-Chappell Cemetery in Belgium. Sam Beckman had lost his son in January of 1945. His mother (Robert's grandmother) died in April. And Margaret Rose Beckman followed her son Robert in death, by August of that same year, dying young of breast cancer.

He was first buried ar Block XX, Row 4, Grave 68.

At the place where the battle for Arbrefontaine was fought, there is a statue to honor the fallen of F Company.