Robert H. Field

BOWERS BEACH - Retired U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Robert H. Field of Bowers Beach peacefully left this world to be with the Lord on Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2007, of natural causes.

Born at Fort Salisbury, Milford, he was the fourth son of the late Lina (Hildebrand) and Claude A Field, fort commander at the time.

He attended the one-room Cedar Neck School near Slaughter Beach.

Due to his family being career military, he had the opportunity to live in Delaware City, Fort Dupont, Fort Delaware, Fort Mott, N.J., and Fort Williams South Portland, Maine.

In July 1942, Bob followed field tradition and enlisted in the U.S. Army. This would begin an extensive and storied career in the military.

Bob was stationed at Fort Belvoir, Va., where he trained for one year basic and advanced TNC and combat engineering.

Then he was transferred to Oregon to the Cadre Combat Engineering Center, where he attained rank of sergeant, then taught demolition and construction.

Bob then was transferred to Fort Benning, Ga., for paratrooper training.

In January 1944, Bob was ordered overseas and assigned to the 101st Combat Engineering Division. He parachuted behind German lines on June 6, 1944, at 3:45 a.m. for the invasion of Germany. During the assault he was wounded and returned to England until the 101st Division was released from invasion force.

On Sept. 24, 1944, he was among the first Americans to parachute into Holland with the 101st division fighting for three months, until relieved to rest camp in Southern France.

On Dec. 16, 1944, the 101st, now known as the Battlery Bastards and the Screaming Eagles, Bob was recalled for the Battle of the Bulge in Bastogne.

During the battle he was wounded again and surrounded by German tanks from Dec. 17-29, 1944, until he was finally relieved.

He then was reassigned to 101st Division, specializing in land mines, booby traps and demolitions work, until the end of World War II.

Bob returned home in December 1945 to Slaughter Beach where he worked as a party boat captain, fishing Delaware Bay, Indian River, Mispillion River and the Atlantic for two years.

In 1950, he worked as a police officer for Milford Police Department until leaving the force in 1955 with a rank of sergeant.

Bob re-enlisted in the U.S. Army National Guard full time. He was promoted from tech sergeant to master sergeant and finally command sergeant major.

While in the National Guard, Bob was given a new unit called the U.S. Army Communications Command known as USASTRATCOM. After accepting this post he was ordered to report to the Pentagon as command sergeant major by Gen. Austin Chidester and then being assigned to the 261 Signal Command, Dover, where he eventually retired in January 1983 with letters of commendation from Gen, William Westmoreland, Chief of Staff, Gen. Francis Breenlief, Army National Guard, and Gen. Austin Chidester of the 261st Signal Command, and many decorations and awards including three Purple Hearts.

Bob loved fishing and being around the water, especially at Bowers Beach.

He will always be remembered for being on the dock almost every morning feeding ducks and saluting the fishing boats as they went out to sea.

Bob was also a avid model ship builder, building many detailed miniature boats and lighthouses.

Because of his background in demolition he could fix anything with bread ties and duct tape.

At the end of the day he enjoyed playing shuffleboard and happy hour with his buddies at Bayview Lounge at Bowers Beach and was a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars 6483, Milford.

Bob was proceeded in death by wife, Betty Jane Hollis, in 1987; daughter, Sandra Field Reynolds, in 2006; granddaughter, Jennifer Bogan, in 1997; and brothers, William, Fred and Allan Field.

He is survived by four daughters, Tracy Yoder of Frederica, Denise Plummer of Milford, Roberta Hitchens of Milford and Diane Geddes of Lincoln; a son, Robert Field II of Felton; one sister, Belle Dowdy of Lynchburg, Va.; 21 grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and several cousins, nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life will be 2 p.m. Saturday in Lofland Funeral Home, 102 Lakeview Ave., Milford.