Joe Robinson

Joe B. Robinson was a retired farmer and rancher and lived in the Tueplo-Chatfield area his entire life. He had also owned and operated a Texaco Service Station on the corner of 2nd Avenue and 15th Street in Corsicana during the 1950's, and later owned a successful gravel trucking business for a number of years. He was also a decorated veteran of World War II,volunteering for the U.S.Army in June of 1941 before the war began. He was a combat infantryman in General George S. Patton's original 2nd Armored Division that trained for desert warfare in California's Mojave Desert before the war began with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Faced with the realization that the war would likely take him overseas, he and his sweetheart, Zula Hill of the Emhouse community, were married at Ft. Bliss in El Paso, Texas in March, 1942. Due to a medical quarantine imposed on the base at the time their marriage ceremony was conducted by an Army chaplain in the gateguard station, with no honeymoon permitted until several weeks later. Cpl. Robinson shipped out with one of the first deployments of U.S. forces sent to North Africa in November, 1942 as part of Operation Torch, crossing the Atlantic in a troopship convey that suffered numerous attacks by German U-Boat submarines. His unit, the 91st Reconnaissance Squadron, which was now attached to the U.S. 1st Infantry Division, disembarked at the port of Casablanca on Christmas Eve, 1942, and served as part of the honor guard for the Casablanca Conference of President Roosevelt and Winston Churchill in January, 1943. Following this his unit moved through French Morocco and Algeria in February, 1943 to confront the German Panzers commanded General Rommel in Tunisia, where the 91st Recon became part of the Allied counter-attack following the defeat at Kasserine Pass. Cpl. Robinson remained in constant combat for the next four months, and participated in the conquest of the Mateur and Bizerte strongholds in early-May, 1943. Just days before the German surrender in Tunis Cpl. Robinson was wounded while on a reconnaissance patrol behind enemy lines. He was one of only two survivors of his 12-man patrol that was ambushed while crossing a clearing, and caught in a cross-fire at point-blank range by two machine gun nests as well as small-arms fire from a company of German soldiers. Despite suffering a severe head wound Cpl. Robinson fought his way out of the ambush, knocking out both machine guns with hand grenades as well as killing a number of the German soldiers with his automatic weapons fire when they rushed him. He eventually made his way back to where he was spotted by a U.S. forward artillery observer and a rescue party brought him through the American lines. For his heroic actions during this engagement Cpl. Robinson was nominated for the Silver Star by his company commander, and was awarded the Purple Heart for his wounds during combat. Cpl. Robinson was hospitalized with shrapnel wounds to his scalp and suffered double-vision from a concussion resulting from to a German bullet that had penetrated the top of his helmet during the ambush. While in a British Hospital in Algiers Chief of Staff General George C. Marshall selected Cpl. Robinson and another "walking wounded" GI to accompany him back to Washington D.C. aboard his DC-3 aircraft. After several months in Walter Reed Hospital in Washington Cpl. Robinson was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army and returned to civilian life in Texas. Survived by: Sons Whelyn Robinson and daughter-in-law Janis Robinson of Douglass, Texas.Dale A. Robinson and daughter-in-law Dorothy Robinson of Rice. Grandchildren include Kelly Herriage and husband Roland Herriage of College Station, Texas, Kyle Robinson and wife Lisa Robinson of Forney, Texas, Shara Blankenship and husband Jess Blankenship of Cushing, Texas, and Paul Sandness of Douglass, Texas. Derek and wife Kari Robinson, Dawn Robinson Gowin and husband Heath, Danielle Robinson and husband Erich, all of Rice. Great Grandchildren include Ryan Herriage; Taylor, Haley and Katelyn Robinson; and Mason and Olivia Blankenship; Devin Castillo; Dylan Wolver; Dalton Douglas; Keeley and Montana Gowin; Katelyn and Seth Robinson; Christian Clay Brown.

Joe Robinson

June 11, 1915 - December 11, 2005