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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRobert F. Wright, Brazos Valley Heroes One in a series of tributes to members of "The Greatest it Generation" who served our country during World War II Ir It is often said that football is a way of life in Texas. For Robert F. ~Bobn Wright of Bryan, it has been his life - even In the military In World War II. Bob was born into a football family. His dad was the legendary high school and college coach "Pooch" Wright. ~ After I was born in Brownwood in 1925, we moved to Ballinger where my Dad was the coach during my years in high school. I was able to play for him at Ballinger, where I was a pretty good blocking back [and] one of the captains of the team." The war was being fought during Bob's high school years and most of his classmates knew they would be drafted as soon as they graduated in the spring of 1944. And they were. ~I was drafted into the Army as an infantryman. I did most of my training at Ft. Benning, Ga. I enjoyed my training and did well. My football training under my Dad helped me succeed In the Army. n Soon after the training started, Bob became a squad leader and eventually a sergeant. ~The picture of me was taken on Christmas Eve 1944, just after my 19th birthday, at Ft. Benning. After Christmas we got orders to go to Europe to relieve some of the units fighting there." Bob and his fellow soldiers of the 71st Infantry Division landed at Le Harve, France, in February 1945. They were placed onto cattle cars and hauled by train across northern France to Nancy where they relieved the 1 Oath Division. Bob and the men of Company M saw their first action in March, pushing the Germans out of France. His unit ended up at the Rhine river near Spayer and Germanshein. After they crossed the Rhine, Bob and the 71st fought their way through Germany to the Danube River. During this period of combat, Bob was promoted to Arst Sergeant of his company and was awarded the Bronze Star. That is a lot to accomplish by the age of 19. ~By the time I got involved in the war the Germans were getting 'skinny'. We didn't have it near as bad as some of the boys who had been in the war earlier. When the war ended, we were staring across the Enns River at the Russians and th.ey were staring back." This was near linz, Austria, where Bob met his cousin Caddo Wright, whom he had not seen since before the war. "One job that I ~njoyed when the war !nded was taking some ftalian POWs, who had remained with the Germans, back to Italy. I turned them over to our people in Northern Italy, That was some of the prettiest country I've ever seen." He also enjoyed being a member of the 71 st Division football team, which won the 3r~ Army championship in Bavaria. Bob still has that championship football and it is one of his special memories. Bob came home in 1946 and enrolled at Howard Payne, where his father was the head football coach. "I enjoyed playing for my Dad at Ballinger but I really enjoyed getting to play for him at Howard Payne," After graduating in 1949, Bob followed his Dad into the coaching profession. Bob started his career at Olney, Texas, and eventually coached at several schools, including his hometown of Ballinger. In the September 1963 issue of Sports Illustrated, the magazine did a special takeout on Texas high school football. 'Featured was a photo of Bob exhorting his Ballinger team in the locker room before a game. The Ballinger player to the left of Bob In the photo is Jim Slaughter, now the coach at MM Consolidated in College Station. Bob came to Telas MM University as part of Emory Bellard's staff in 1972 as the recruiting coordinator. He retired as a lecturer in the education department at A&M in 1990. In 1995, he and his wife, Tylene, aiong wtth three busloads of members of the 71 st Division and wives, traveled the path the 71st took during the war. Their journey ended at Stayr, Austria. "Those people remembered us and are still grateful for what we did. " was good for me and the others to go back." Coaching football always will be a large part of Bob's life. After he. was inducted into the Texas High School Coaches Association Hall of Honor in 1986, he was quoted as saying: "We are privileged to coach a great game. God bless the game of football." And God bless soldiers, football coaches, and men like Bob Wright. Bob Wright's name can be found on the Brazos Valley Veteran's Memorial. If you know of a World War II veteran whose story needs to be told, contact Bill Youngkin at (979) 260~7030. If you would like to add someone's name to the Brazos Valley Veteran's Memorial, names must be submitted by August 15, 2006 in order to be engraved on the memorial by thiB'year's Veterans Day observance. Th,. F'Mrl,.