GLASSCOCK, ROBERT L May 18, 1945 age 25 DNB Bavarian Alps

ROBERT LYNCH GLASSCOCK  b. June 18, 1919 Missouri d. May 18, 1945  Died Non Battle Bavarian Alps, Germany

Pfc 3643741 Army  12^th Inf Reg 4^th Inf Div Co A

 

Buried: Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia

Parents: John Yates & Ora Mae (Lynch)

Siblings: Dorothy Lee (William, Estes), Louise   

Spouse: Virginia Mae Paterson

Child: son

 

 

 

 

Up until 1935 Robert lived in Maysville, Missouri with his family. His father was the proprietor of a produce house in Missouri and later served as postmaster. After the war the parents moved to their daughters home in Royal Oak, Michigan.



Marriage License 1940

In Detroit Robert was a lodger at 16554 Chapel, just a block from the high school. The Meijer Superstore that replaced Redford uses a section of Chapel St. that bordered the west entrance to the school so houses are gone; that was where my father dropped me off at the school for early morning activities. Robert completed two years of college after high school. On May 22,1940 he married Virginia Mae Paterson in Detroit and they had a son.  Robert worked as a sales clerk in a retail drug store. On Aug 16, 1944 he enlisted.

The 4^th Division was named the Ivey Division – the Roman numeral IV was read as Ivey. The 4^th Division sped southeast across Bavaria. On 2^nd of May 1945 they reached Miesbach on the Isar River, a very scenic area near the Austrian border. They were relieved and placed on occupation duty. Sad irony to dying non battle after the war's end. Writer J.D. Salinger served with the 4^th from 1942-1945.

Robert was returned from the cemetery at St. Avold, France in 1948 to be buried at Arlington. The grave next to him is reserved for his widow.

 

With genealogy the information found in databases is one isolated moment in time; from that you piece together the in between information.  Robert’s obituary in a King City, Missouri newspaper states he had a wife and son. Virginia did remarry a Benny Olive, date not found. I was surprised to discover, as I wrote this post, that a James Robert Olive, born April 13, 1941 in Detroit to Benjamin and Virginia (Paterson) Olive, died March 6, 2020 in St. Helen, MI; he previously lived in Washington. James served in the Army 1962-65. Note the middle name is Robert, doubt it is a coincidence. This raises many questions; but would any of the answers made a material difference to young James life? Robert knew he had a child but anything else was irrelevant for him with his death.