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For a long time I've thought about writing a little story about a gun that resides in my safe and the man that "liberated" it.
Robert P. Story was born in 1925, raised in central Arkansas. After finishing high school, he was offered an appointment at West Point but turned it down to enlist in the Army and enter WWII immediately. After Basic Training he shipped out to Europe landing in France a couple months after D-day. His company was immediately sent to the front line as part of 99th Infantry. He said on that first night as he lay in his foxhole surround by horrendous cannon fire, all he could think about was turning down that West Point appointment.
He fought across Europe including the Battle of the Bulge. He spend 88 days in a foxhole on the north end of the battle line. His unit was stationed on the line that ended near the town of Hofen. With almost daily German attacks, his unit never gave ground during the 88 days of fighting. The first day of the German offensive his foxhole mate was shoot through the temple by a German sniper. Bob received a wound during the battle from a tree burst shell and was sent to a hospital in the rear for surgery and recovery. After recovery, he was released to rejoin his group for the battle crossing the Rhine at the Remagen Bridge.
He was on a recon patrol in a wood area with 2 other G.I.s when they encountered 6 Germans soldiers. The Germans were walking through a ravine and were unaware that they were being watched on higher ground by Bob and the other 2 G.I.s. Bob said the circumstance seemed too much like murder, so they decided to shoot above the Germans heads to force a surrender. The plan worked, Germans dropped their weapons, hands up and on their knees. Bob said he "relived" the German Sargent of this Walther PPK.
Bob survived the war, returned to Arkansas, entered the Univ. of Arkansas on the GI bill, was the first Cadet Commander at the ROTC unit and graduated with a degree in Chemistry. After college, he re-entered the Army and served 27 years retiring as a Colonel in 1972. He passed away in 2000 after bouts with lung and brain cancer. (Agent Orange/). Bob and his wife had a son and a daughter. I've had the good fortune to be married to his daughter for the last 37 years. Certainly one of the most respected and honorable men that I've known.
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Robert P. Story was born in 1925, raised in central Arkansas. After finishing high school, he was offered an appointment at West Point but turned it down to enlist in the Army and enter WWII immediately. After Basic Training he shipped out to Europe landing in France a couple months after D-day. His company was immediately sent to the front line as part of 99th Infantry. He said on that first night as he lay in his foxhole surround by horrendous cannon fire, all he could think about was turning down that West Point appointment.
He fought across Europe including the Battle of the Bulge. He spend 88 days in a foxhole on the north end of the battle line. His unit was stationed on the line that ended near the town of Hofen. With almost daily German attacks, his unit never gave ground during the 88 days of fighting. The first day of the German offensive his foxhole mate was shoot through the temple by a German sniper. Bob received a wound during the battle from a tree burst shell and was sent to a hospital in the rear for surgery and recovery. After recovery, he was released to rejoin his group for the battle crossing the Rhine at the Remagen Bridge.
He was on a recon patrol in a wood area with 2 other G.I.s when they encountered 6 Germans soldiers. The Germans were walking through a ravine and were unaware that they were being watched on higher ground by Bob and the other 2 G.I.s. Bob said the circumstance seemed too much like murder, so they decided to shoot above the Germans heads to force a surrender. The plan worked, Germans dropped their weapons, hands up and on their knees. Bob said he "relived" the German Sargent of this Walther PPK.
Bob survived the war, returned to Arkansas, entered the Univ. of Arkansas on the GI bill, was the first Cadet Commander at the ROTC unit and graduated with a degree in Chemistry. After college, he re-entered the Army and served 27 years retiring as a Colonel in 1972. He passed away in 2000 after bouts with lung and brain cancer. (Agent Orange/). Bob and his wife had a son and a daughter. I've had the good fortune to be married to his daughter for the last 37 years. Certainly one of the most respected and honorable men that I've known.
