Fennig, Robert L.

ROBERT LEE FENNIG

PRIVATE 1st CLASS
U.S. ARMY

Private First Class Robert Lee Fennig was born on August 7, 1922 in New Corydon, Indiana. He grew up on Butcher Street in Geneva, Indiana. His parents were Edward and Myrtle (Fogle) Fennig. Robert was one of eleven children including brothers Lyle, Harrison, Lamaile "Anthony", and Laben; and sisters Violet (Minick), Crystal (Gibson), Mary (Binegar), Mattio, Kathleen, and Vera (Miranda), 

Robert went to Geneva High School and graduated in 1941. During high school, Robert was in the Glee Club for two years and he spent four years as the center on the basketball team. According to the Berne Witness, after high school, Robert "worked with his father in concrete work at ammunition plants". Robert and 48 other Adams County men were called up for selective service and inducted into the Army on December 5, 1942. Upon his induction, Robert trained at Camp Phillips, Kansas, Nashville, Tennessee, and Fort Meade, Maryland. He was sent to North Africa and assigned to the 6th Armored Infantry, 1st Armored Division.

His brother, Harrison also served in the army achieving the rank of Private First Class. Harrison fought in France during the Normandy invasion.

The 6th Armored Infantry Regiment were some of the first American troops to fight the axis, landing in North Africa as part of Operation Torch in November 1942. The regiment moved eastward, liberating Tunisia and preparing for the invasion of Italy (Operation Avalanche) by October 1943. PFC Robert Fennig joined the 6th in Italy in November 1943 and fought at the battles of Naples-Foggia, Anzio, and Rome. 

On July 7, 1944 Robert and his platoon were out on an assignment, their jeep hit a mine killing him and two others instantly. According to a letter from a "foxhole buddy" printed in the September 8 Berne Witness, "It was all over in a flash, there was nothing we could do, as he died right on the spot".  A letter from Robert dated July 6, 1944 to his sister stated that he had recently participated in a parade through Rome where the Italians cheered their arrival. He also mentions in the letter that he had been transferred to headquarters and "that he would likely have it a little nicer and that at least he wouldn't have to walk and would probably be a little safer also".  He is buried in Florence American Cemetery and Memorial in Florence, Italy.

For his service and sacrifice PFC Fennig was awarded the Purple Heart, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, American Campaign Medal, and the WWII Victory Medal. He also earned the Combat Infantryman Badge.

Information researched and collected by Ethan Garner, 2019.

SOURCES

“Robert L Fennig.” Robert L Fennig : Private First Class from Indiana, World War II Casualty, Honor States, https://www.honorstates.org/index.php?id=40510.

“1930 United States Census.” Ancestry Login, Ancesrty, https://search.ancestryclassroom.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc=jCI34&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&qh=SCbeqVx73fkpGVAuIAthMQ==&gss=angs-g&new=1&rank=1&msT=1&gsfn=robert lee &gsfn_x=0&gsln=fennig&gsln_x=0&msypn__ftp=Geneva, Adams, Indiana, USA&msypn=39148&msbdy=1922&catbucket=rstp&MSAV=0&pcat=ROOT_CATEGORY&h=118116715&dbid=6224&indiv=1&ml_rpos=1.

“Page 2 WWII Draft Registration Cards.” Fold3, Ancestry, https://www.fold3.com/image/652266079.

“Ingen Web.” Adams County Indiana Deaths in World War II, 20 Dec. 2014, http://ingenweb.org/inadams/Military/WW2Deaths.html.

The Legend Of The Limberlost staff, ed. The Legend Of The Limberlost Yearbook. Geneva, IN: Geneva High School, 1946. Print.

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