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Beau's Journey » 2008 » May » 29

Archive: May 29th, 2008

May 29, 2008: More Information On My Great Uncle Robert Dodson…

  David found this for me…

www.combatweather.org/forum/shwmessage.aspx 

  Way toooooo cool!

 

Some comments from that thread…

"SSgt Robert A. Dodson was originally from Kentucky, where he finished high school and one year at Murray State College,.  He was working in Chicago, IL, until he enlisted at Jefferson Barracks, MO on 8 Sep 1941. He trained as a weather observer and went overseas on 6 Apr 44, returned to the US on 21 July 45 and was discharged on 22 Sep 45 at Camp Atterbury, IN. He was hospitalized for jump related injuries for 39 days from sometime in July – Aug 44. The record says sprained knee. We haven’t found anything else, so far on when he went to weather school, joined the 21 Wx Sq, etc., but will let you know if anything turns up.

The 21 WS history for 1945 shows he was awarded a Bronze Star for his D-Day service; we have requested a copy of the official order to verify it. His other decorations are listed as the Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign medal with 4 bronze service stars for the Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland and Central Europe campaigns, American Defense Service Medal, Purple Heart, and Distinguished Unit Citation.  While it not listed on his discharge, he would have also rated the WW II Victory Medal.

From what we do have, it doesn’t appear he went to any parachute qualification course, just a one day orientation prior to jumping on 5/6 June 44. It would be interesting to find out if he was awarded jump wings with the bronze star denoting a combat jump.

 

more on link above…

 Apparently Robert also appears on several television shows (The Weather Channel recreation of the events) and books.  We are trying to recover some of that information.

🙂