Page 104 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2020- Online Magazine

Captain Robert Melcher
he United States Army Air
Corps (USAAC) was the
Taerial warfare service of
the United States in 1926. After
World War I, aviation was an
increasingly important part of
modern warfare. This was the
beginning of a difference between
war on the ground and war in
the air. The Air Corps became
the United States Army Air
Forces (USAAF) in June 1941.
The Air Corps (AC) remained
as one of the combat arms of the
Army until 1947, when it was
established as the Department of
the Air Force. From an early age,
Robert Melcher wanted to fly.
Whenever he saw a plane’s path
overhead, he could only imagine
what it would be like.
Born in Williamson County, Texas
in 1918, he shared a farmer’s life
with his parents and siblings. In
1922, Leon and Louise Melcher
104 Senior Link
From Flanders Fields
to Cotton Fields
“Honesty and Integrity”
by Joan Blackmon (Niece)
relocated to the South Plains and
settled into farming at Posey,
Texas. The family grew to seven
siblings, four boys and three
girls. Robert attended Posey
Elementary, which was located
next to the family farm. Robert
was very smart and sometimes
got into trouble at school. He
says it was because he was bored,
and he felt he was not being
challenged to learn new things.
He graduated from Slaton High
School at the age of 16 and later
enrolled at Texas Technological
College, majoring in Chemical
Engineering. While at Tech, he
was in ROTC, and then World
War II broke out. In 1941, he
enlisted in the Army Air Corps
and requested pilot training. It
had been his desire from an early
age; finally, he would get to fly! and enjoyed 65 years of marriage.
Robert trained at Ballinger
Civilian Training Base and
Randolph Field. He flew the
Douglas C-47. During WWII,
it was modified for transport of
troops, cargo and the wounded.
At the rank of Captain, he
primarily flew paratroopers and
cargo. His plane would often
have 25 paratroopers and was the
target of enemies. The enemy felt
if they could take the plane down,
they could get more “bang for
the buck”. Robert participated
in several of the major battles
including Operation Barbarossa,
the Battle of Stalingrad, the Battle
of Okinawa, the Battle of Midway,
the Battle of Berlin and the Battle
of the Bulge.
Some events remain important
to him. One was when he
flew General George Patton to
Czechoslovakia, flying with the
78th Squadron on D-Day. This
flight took them over Sainte-
Mère-Église. The town’s claim to
fame was that it stood in the path
of Route N13, which the Germans
would have used on counterattack
against the troops landing on the
Utah and Omaha Beaches.
In 1945, as the war ended, Robert
Melcher retired from the military,
returned to the Posey area and to
life as a farmer. He met his wife,
Bobby Jo, at a local department
store. He went in to buy a jacket
and ended up with a jacket and
a date with a lovely young lady.
They married in Slaton in 1946
To this day, Robert is active in
farming and ranching. You can