Friday, September 20, 2019

WW2 Hurtgen Forest Fallen - Silver Star hero Robert Napier, 83rd Infantry Division

Sgt. Robert Napier served with the 83rd Infantry Division from Normandy to the Hurtgen Forest.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/23096342/robert-george-napier
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/538672805423999757/ 
This is the 1,000th profile of the WW2 Fallen 100 project. I invite you to join the WW2 Fallen 100 Facebook Group to show your support for these fallen heroes.

Robert George Napier never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.

He was born on September 20, 1919 in Kentucky. His parents Charlie and Lou Cassie were also both born in Kentucky. His father worked as a farmer in Kentucky and, after moving to Indiana, as a sewer project worker. Robert had one older sister, two younger brothers, and five younger sisters. Robert enlisted in the army in October 1939.

Robert eventually reached the rank of sergeant in the HQ Company, 2nd Battalion, 330th Infantry Regiment, 83rd Infantry Division.  Before going overseas, Robert married Louise Stucker in January 1943. The 83rd ID arrived in England in April 1943. Louis gave birth to their daughter after her husband was in France. He probably never met her.

The 83rd ID landed on Omaha Beach on D+9 and fought throughout the Normandy Campaign. While taking part in this fighting, Sgt. Napier was awarded the Silver Star.

Here is his Silver Star citation:

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Sergeant [then Private First Class] Robert G. Napier (ASN: 6669777), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with the *** Infantry Regiment, 83d Infantry Division, in action against the enemy from 9 July 1944 to 11 July 1944, near ****, France. 

Sergeant Napier while serving as a member of the anti-tank platoon armed himself with rocket launcher and together with another man joined the front line companies as a tank-hunter team. Disregarding his own safety despite intense enemy artillery and small arms fire he made his way to within striking distance of two enemy tanks that were firing upon the rifle companies and demobilized them. This daring action enabled the line companies to reach their objective. 

Sergeant Napier's cool and courageous determination to meet the enemy and destroy him reflects great credit upon himself and the finest traditions of the military service.

By December, Sgt. Napier's unit was fighting in the Hurtgen Forest. Sgt. Napier was killed in action on December 4, 1944. This week marks the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Hurtgen Forest. It is a lesser know battle that lasted for three months. One out of every four GIs who fought in this battle became a casualty.

His grave is at Lexington Cemetery in Lexington, Indiana. His widow remarried and died in 1988. His daughter died in 1993.

Thank you Sgt. Napier for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for Robert.

Joseph Cain, also from the 83rd Infantry Division, was born exactingly one year earlier than Sgt. Napier. You can read about Joseph here.

On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!

I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.

Follow on Twitter @ww2fallen100
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100

WW2 Fallen 100 is supported by

The Greatest GENERATIONS Foundation

“Where Every Day is Memorial Day”

3 comments:

  1. This is my father's brother, I never met him as he died long before I was born. My father told me about him and we would visit his grave. My father passed in 2009, and my uncle, nor his sacrifice have been forgotten.

    ReplyDelete
  2. My uncle, Sgt Robert George Napier did not ever get to meet his daughter Barbara.

    ReplyDelete