Willard J. Robinson was born on June 9, 1911 in the city of Pullman, Whitman County, Washington to Oliver Alexander “Ollie” Robinson and Luella “Lulu” Robinson, nee Willard. Willard had two younger sisters, Ruth and Jean Robinson. In 1920, the family lived in Pomeroy, Garfield County, Washington, where Oliver was a grain buyer. Ollie and Lulu divorced in the 1920s. Ollie married Zada E. Bare in 1928. Willard and his sisters lived with their mother in Prosser, Benton County, Washington in 1930, where Lulu worked as a waitress to support her family. Lulu married Rufus W. Mount in May 1930 in Walla Walla, Washington. Willard joined the Washington National Guard on April 2, 1930 in Prosser. He served in Company G, 181st Infantry.

Willard moved to Seattle in 1935. He married Virginia Edna North on September 20, 1935 in the town of Alderwood Manor, Snohomish County, Washington. The couple had two children, Glen and Judith Ellen Robinson.

Willard James Robinson registered for the draft on October 16, 1940. He was 29 years old, 5’8” tall, and weighed 155 pounds. He had blonde hair, blue eyes, and a light complexion. He was an automobile salesman for Totem Pontiac in Seattle. He was called up for active service on October 24, 1942 in Tacoma, Washington. He was married and had a high school education. He was released to civilian life in 1943 but reenlisted on February 22, 1944 at Fort Lewis, Washington.

Pfc. Willard Robinson served in Company K, 414th Infantry Regiment, 104th Infantry Division. He received his basic training at Camp Carson, Colorado. The 104th Infantry Division landed in France on September 7, 1944. In October, the Division participated in the Battle of the Scheldt in Belgium, assisting the British in Operation Pheasant. The Allies pushed into Holland, liberating the Dutch towns of Zundert, Leur, and Etten by the end of the month. In early November, the Allies established a bridgehead across the Mark River and pursued the retreating German troops north to the Meuse River.

On November 16, 1944, the division went on another offensive in support of Operation Queen. The target of the unit was the industrial triangle at Eschweiler-Weisweiler in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany. Heavy fighting ensued in the heights overlooking the town of Donnerberg, but by November 19th the important hill was in American hands.

Pfc. Robinson was killed in action on November 17, 1944 in Germany. His remains were returned to the United States in 1948 and reinterred in the Evergreen-Washelli Memorial Park, Seattle, King County, Washington (Veterans Cemetery - El Caney Section). He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project

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write the stories of all 421,000+ of the US WWII fallen saved on Together We

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SBTSProject/Washington/King County

Sources:

The Seattle Daily TImes, Wednesday, Dec 13, 1944, Seattle, WA, Page: 8, https://www.genealogybank.com/doc/newspapers/image/v2%3A127D718D1E33F961%40GB3NEWS-12A6F86584D966E4%402431438-12A35C15D091BB6D%407-12A35C15D091BB6D%40?h=1&fname=willard%20j&lname=robinson&fullname=&rgfromDate=1940&rgtoDate=1949&formDate=&formDateFlex=exact&dateType=range&kwinc=&kwexc=&sid=dntiayrwyddqbqqfejagkcjtlpxqwsiw_ip-10-166-46-155_1698791481131

WWII Hospital Admission Card Files, 1942-1954, https://www.fold3.com/record/706703041/robinson-willard-j-us-wwii-hospital-admission-card-files-1942-1954

WWII Army and Army Air Force Casualty List, 1946, https://www.fold3.com/image/310763533?rec=299423980

Spokane Chronicle, 18 Dec 1944, Mon · Page 7, https://www.newspapers.com/image/563657283?utm_source=fold3.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Fold3&_gl=1*19cqsxm*_ga*MTc4MzU0Njg5OS4xNjQ5ODg0OTQw*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTY5ODc5NTIxOS42MzIuMS4xNjk4Nzk3MTg1LjIwLjAuMA..

WWII Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946, https://www.fold3.com/record/91042033/willard-j-robinson-us-wwii-army-enlistment-records-1938-1946

Findagrave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/23566534/willard-j-robinson

1920 United States Federal Census, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/93745510:6061?_gl=1*kkjeco*_ga*MTc4MzU0Njg5OS4xNjQ5ODg0OTQw*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTY5ODc5NTIxOS42MzIuMS4xNjk4Nzk3MjMwLjQ2LjAuMA..

1930 United States Federal Census, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/111504663:6224?_gl=1*kkjeco*_ga*MTc4MzU0Njg5OS4xNjQ5ODg0OTQw*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTY5ODc5NTIxOS42MzIuMS4xNjk4Nzk3MjMwLjQ2LjAuMA..

1940 United States Federal Census, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/66995887:2442?_gl=1*s8iz06*_ga*MTc4MzU0Njg5OS4xNjQ5ODg0OTQw*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTY5ODc5NTIxOS42MzIuMS4xNjk4Nzk3MjMwLjQ2LjAuMA..

Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1861-1985, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/637626:2375?_gl=1*s8iz06*_ga*MTc4MzU0Njg5OS4xNjQ5ODg0OTQw*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTY5ODc5NTIxOS42MzIuMS4xNjk4Nzk3MjMwLjQ2LjAuMA..

United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KMKP-RCJ

Washington, U.S., Marriage Records, 1854-2013, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/150962:2378?_gl=1*1n73z3g*_ga*MTc4MzU0Njg5OS4xNjQ5ODg0OTQw*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTY5ODc5NTIxOS42MzIuMS4xNjk4Nzk3MzI4LjYwLjAuMA..

Washington, U.S., Military Records, 1855-1950, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/113196:62272?tid=&pid=&queryId=5d4c8f8371ba0cc421df254ef700c0c6&_phsrc=uCD974&_phstart=successSource&_gl=1*1n73z3g*_ga*MTc4MzU0Njg5OS4xNjQ5ODg0OTQw*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTY5ODc5NTIxOS42MzIuMS4xNjk4Nzk3MzI4LjYwLjAuMA..

World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/37161886:2238?_gl=1*1n73z3g*_ga*MTc4MzU0Njg5OS4xNjQ5ODg0OTQw*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTY5ODc5NTIxOS42MzIuMS4xNjk4Nzk3MzI4LjYwLjAuMA..

Willard J Robinson