Col. Robert L. Strayer
Second Battalion Commander
506th P.I.R. 101st AB Div. (W.W.II)

A story told by a 2nd Battalion, E-Company Sergeant.
Robert L. Strayer (Mrs. Millie Strayer)
A leader, a gentleman, a brave soldier.
by Robert J. Rader (right)

Story courtesey Eddie van Kooijk, son of John van Kooijk, an Eindhoven member of the Dutch resistence, after the liberation he joined the Band of Brothers.

Col. Robert L. Strayer
(When the 506th parachute Regiment formed-up at Toccoa. Georgia; formerly Camp Tombs, named after a Civil War general.)
The Regimental training started with an Officer Corp that would see and experience many changes. Some officers would leave due to physical disqualifications, however, not necessarily would this be a slam on an officer's career.
Because you see, we had these two Lt. Colonels- Sink and Chase, the titular heads of this training Regiment. These two fine men were looking for good officers, dependable officers, officers that would be there through ,

thick and thin. Sad to say. the 506th Regiment would suffer losing many good officers due to combat casualties. Lt. Col. Turner. Lt. Col. Wolverton lost In Normandy, both Battalion Commandersboth outstanding Battalion leaders. I think, in looking back, the staying power of Col. Strayer the Second Battalion Commander was In part and partial an Influence upon the men of the Second Battalion. Back at Toccoa we, the Second Battalion, started out with a Capt. Dean- he was Injured on the obstacle course and left. So, in comes this Major from Philadelphia. He took command of the Second Battalion. The training started to take on an urgency of purpose. We all knew that eventually the Battalion would have to move to Ft. Bennlng. Ga.. to prepare to qualify as parachutist.
Nobody said just how we were to arrive at this destination? It all started as a rumour, some said Major Strayer read where the Japs went down through the Malayan jungles to fight the British.
In about 80 hours, a 75 mile trip, with full field equipment- most had bicycles.
So, Major Strayer supposedly had said to Col. Sink. after we are through basic training here at Toccoa, my Battalion will march, with full field equipment to Atlanta and do it a hell’va lot faster than the Japs record!
With some good planning, the basic parachute training over the Second Battalion prepared to march to Atlanta.

After Atlanta, in a train the rest of the way to finish the trip to Ft. Benning. Georgia.
Now a lot of us after getting to know Major Strayer by reputation we figured he wouldn't make It to Cornelius. He appeared to be an office-type person, maybe a little soft. His feet couldn't take the pounding day after day. After all we marched 44 miles the first day. Stayed all night in a cotton field beside an old country road.The weather turned bad. The temperature dropped to freezing. Our shoes froze to the ground in the ice that was a result of the rain we walked in the day before. Trying to get your shoes broken loose from that ice bound mud was only to make the shoes so stiff you could hardly slip them on your sore feet, blisters and all. We built fires and just either threw the shoes onto the bonfire or stuck them into the fire while wearing them. I can say this with all sincerity- the men were questioning the wisdom of this store clerk, office type Major! I didn't realize that these young kids, coming from all walks of civilian life, had so many uncomplimentary names for a man that nobody hardly knew. I do believe men under stress will turn to profanity, to try and understand something not of their vocabulary strength, or a stressful situation that brings out the best in men under stressful situations. That morning of the second day- was not one of your best starts in doing anything. Your shoes are frozen to the ground, the breakfast is like warm. It's cold, you're not in that nice warm barracks at Toccoa and your attitude is one of this get this day going, after all you volunteered for this !! So, stop your bitching and pick up your equipment and hit the road in 15 minutes and prepare to march another 44 miles today! Many of us thought that if we could only see this "son of a biscuit" who dreamed up this crazy idea. Sure enough. This Major Strayer was on the road and ready to go towards Atlanta.
We thought he'd never make It? He still looked like an officer of some big Philadelphia corporation? I know when we stopped after the second day the men were convinced this guy doesn't know when to quit. This was a good sign that we have a Battalion Commander that will stick with you through thick and thin.
So, the rumour came down, upon reaching Atlanta, that we would camp on Oglethorpe University campus football field. In the mean time nobody thought to check with the University- they are training W.A.C.'s there, a school for women who wanted to do their part In the war effort. So, we had covered 88 miles the first two days. The feet and legs of the men were beginning to ache! Our personalities changed a bit. But, with a sweet deal like mixing it up with those W.A.C.'s more or less drove the men on to Atlanta. The sore feet and legs were disappearing, and the last day of marching was a little better. If you can imagine that?
This Major Strayer, upon reaching Oglethorpe U. told us we would  camp outside of the stadium in the woods. Raining, cold, miserable night spent there. All we had to do was march from Oglethorpe U. to down town Five Point Atlanta, maybe 20 more miles. The questions that arose I don't know whether this office-type Major thought it neat or not to have all men shave, clean up, and knock the Georgia red mud from our bodies and equipment so as to look good in down town Atlanta?
Some how it came to a vote as to whether we would try to "doll up" for these V.I.P.'s in Atlanta. The vote in E-Company was. "You dance with the things that you brought to the dance!" They can either takes us mud, sore feet, sore legs, dirty uniforms and all or lump it! We surmised, this Major Strayer was for neatness, and all of that city fled crap from Philadelphia! However, he went along with the wishes of the Battalion, so we knew that we'd go a long ways with Philadelphia office boy!
I don't rightfully know if he had "coming together" in mind or not but this march brought E-Company together as a solid Company that lasted until death do we part- today! I thought we as a 600 man Battalion, we had to cooperate with everybody- to make this record march. It made us all aware of every jack-man in the Battalion from those marching days on, until now. Many a time a Company in the rear would pick up men from the proceeding Companies that just thought that they couldn't go on. However, at days end- after 44 miles- these people would be brought back to the Company area only to try and go on the next day. So this "crazy horse" Major Strayer wasn't going to best us!  Again, however, we thought if this guy sticks with us wonder what he'll dream up next? Maybe he'll talk Col. Sink into dropping us on Hitler's neck and ending the war quickly?? But, as it fumed out- he got a Battalion of Officers, men that would go to hell and back for the Second Battalion and the Regiment. This march brought these 600-plus men closer together as never before as a result of some "crazy" Major volunteering us to march to Atlanta- about 120 miles away from Toccoa, Georgia, to beat some Jap record!
The march did go approximately 120 miles in 32 hours marching time, full field equipment and we only had a few men drop by the wayside. Did this mean that the Officers and men could be asked to do something and Col. Sink could be assured it would be done?
You bet your ass it did!
Does this mean that this "crazy horse" Battalion Commander Strayer would realize that he had a group of 600 men that he could depend on and vice-verse?
You bet your ass he could!
As these men assembled at Camp Tombs, Georgia, that hot, muggy -'a- day in August-1942, we all were anything but an organized group.
It seemed each man was a particular personality but after the march everybody realized several things- no individual was going to win this war by himself! So, together, we could work toward that end.
As we moved from one training level to another we all became aware of our responsibilities, the respect we had for each other, not only in the squads, platoon, companies, but battalion and Regiment. Only histories that the members put together, telling about their own trials and chances they took as a Unit of Company, Battalion, Regiment during the campaigns the Regiment fought during World War II, from Normandy, Holland,  Bastogne, Central Europe. We also realize that (Major) Colonel Robert L. Strayer Is the only surviving Battalion Commander living today. (note: passed away in 2002)
I should think that our thoughts we had that day in Toccoa when this shiny, brand-new, eloquent  Battalion Commander spoke to the men in a broiling, humid Georgia day. Looking, listening to this man we thought, back in the barracks, this guy will last a month at best?
We never took in the fact that he had the sticking power to go the route with everyone of us. This really helped in many ways we didn't have to break in a new Battalion Commander every so often as other Battalions had to during the war years. Unless they came from E- Company case in point Col. Hester to the 1st Battalion. So this Philadelphia story was none other than Col. Robert L. Strayer, a man, a leader, a hell'va man that I would like to call "Friend".
So to you Col. Robert L. Strayer thanks for all you meant to the 2nd Battalion during war times and peace time! However, no more of these whims Boy! We are going to march to Atlanta crap!!
This time I'll take the bus!
God Bless!
Bob Rader, here!
Co. E 506 101st W.W.II

Robert Strayer's wife Mildred receives the flag that covered his coffin during the ceremony at Arlington.

Right: Bob Strayer's gravesite at Arlington National Cemetery. (section 54 site 5817) .