CHARLES ESTEL CLARENCE ROBERTSON,
1918 - 1995

Charles E. Robertson, son of George Albert and Frances "Fannie" Jane Stark Robertson was born at 5:00 a.m. on Friday, April 18, 1918 in the Village of Rockport, Atlas Township, Pike County, Illinois and died at 2:03 p.m. on Friday, April 28, 1995 at the age of 77 years and 10 days, at the Veterans Hospital In Iowa City, Johnson County, Iowa,. He is buried in Plot #307 - Section "S", of the National Cemetery on the US Arsenal grounds at Rock Island, Rock Island County, Illinois. He married Wilma Olive Mayfield, daughter of Uriah Lamonte and Arlena "Lena" Powell Mayfield, on May 18, 1939 in Palmyra, Marion County, Missouri.

Charles E. Robertson served in the US Army as an Infantryman during WW II, from May 10, 1944 until December 2, 1945, he was promoted to the rank of PFC and his Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) was 604, Light Machine Gunner. After Boot Camp in Texas he departed for the ETO (European Theater of Operation) on the 14th day of October 1944 (approx. 3 months before my 5th birthday) and served overseas in combat for 1 year, 1 month and 13 days. He was wounded on the 18th of February 1945 and hospitalized in Florence, Italy. He returned to the USA, on the 17th of November 1945 and was assigned to Camp Grant, near Chicago, Illinois where he was honorably discharged on the 2nd of December 1945. His total military service was for 1 year 6 months and 23 days, of which all but 4 months were served under combat conditions in Italy.

For his service he received the following WW II Awards and Decorations:

The Bronze Star for Valor - Purple Heart - Good Conduct Medal - World War II Victory Medal - European-African-Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon with 1 Bronze Battle Star - The Combat Infantryman Badge - Expert Badge for 57mm Machine Gun - Sharpshooters Badge M1 Rifle - 2 Overseas Bars and was issued the WW II Lapel Button, (fondly referred to as the Ruptured Duck)...

I remember he kept the above decorations in a small Cedar Chest on a shelf in his bedroom closet and I heard him say more than once, "...That the whole box probably wouldn't buy him a cup of coffee ..." His brother Reco L. Robertson, who is also buried in this cemetery, along with his wife Goldie, and his brother Roy L. Robertson, who is buried in Arkansas, also served with the Infantry in Italy during 1944. My father told me that during the cease fire of Christmas Eve 1944, his brother Roy passed through the enemy lines and spent Christmas Eve with him and then returned to his own company on Christmas day, before the cease fire was lifted at midnight...mrbrtsn

FYI: The National Cemetery at Rock Island, Illinois is located on the grounds of the Rock Island, U.S. Federal Arsenal. The Arsenal and National Cemetery are located on an Island in the middle of the Rock River from which the City of Rock Island, Illinois gets its name. This area was heavily contested during the Black Hawk War and also during the Civil War. In addition to being a Federal Arsenal, it was also a Union Prison Camp for Confederate soldiers during the Civil War and over two hundred of it's inmates are buried there....