“The barrage was so intense that daylight disappeared and it was as if someone had blocked out the sun.”
These are the words of Robert Reichard from the introduction to his book entitled “One Soldier’s Story.” He describes one of 24 missions he experienced as a B24 bomber shortly before dropping bombs over German-occupied Italy during World War II.
High in the sky
Robert grew up as the youngest of three sons of George and Blanche Reichard, who moved the family from their farm in Lehighton. He was born in a house in Lansford on August 15, 1924, when the town’s laws were enforced by a mayor, a constable and one or two police officers.
He enjoyed hunting with his father, especially for groundhogs, which were often on the table during the Great Depression in the 1930s.
The interest in spreading his wings arose at an early stage of his life.
“I flew alone in an airplane when I was 17,” he said, “and a year later I enlisted in the Airborne Forces instead of waiting to be drafted.”
After completing his training, Reichard sailed a ship through enemy waters to Italy during the war in Europe. He was the “hot shellman” tasked with defending the ship against German submarine attacks. Two ships in his convoy were sunk. After landing safely, he became a bombardier and navigator on 24 missions in B-24 aircraft, dropping bombs on six countries: Italy, Poland, Germany, Austria, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia – all before he was 25 years old. He came close to death many times, and in terrifying ways.
“We flew in formations of four squadrons of seven planes each,” he said. “When we saw the black smoke, it meant planes were crashing. I narrowly escaped death twice. Once the automatic bomb doors didn’t open and I had to grab an oxygen bottle. Because I didn’t have a parachute, I had to hang on outside the plane mid-flight to open the doors manually.
“Another time we came under machine gun fire and a piece of shrapnel almost hit me in the head, which probably would have killed me. We had to make an emergency landing on a remote island that was equipped with what was called a crash runway. Our engines were burning and we had lost our brakes, so we positioned parachutes on either side of the runway to slow us down and bring us to a stop on the runway.”
During his flying missions, he and his crew were forbidden to carry sidearms in case they had to evacuate the aircraft. They were told that if they were parachuted over enemy lines, they would be less likely to be shot if they were unarmed and simply held as prisoners of war.
Serve again
When the war ended, Reichard returned to civilian life, but with virtually no resume to support permanent employment, he worked 12-hour shifts of hard labor for low pay.
“Then I became a police officer and dealt with gun and domestic violence.”
In 1950, he re-enlisted in the Army and was sent to fight in the Korean War, where he endured temperatures well below zero.
One day he came across dead Chinese soldiers and out of respect for the dead he shot wild dogs to prevent the animals from eating the corpses.
Reichard’s extensive experience earned him another prestigious position.
“I was selected as one of the ‘Chosen Ones’ and assigned to the 1st Marine Division in Hamhung, North Korea in 1950.”
He was then assigned as a security officer for General MacArthur during his visit to Korea in 1951. He became a counterintelligence officer and the only American military policeman to fly over the North Korean capital on a photo reconnaissance mission.
Reichard’s famous services to his country were further enhanced by duties and awards.
In 1957 he was a paratrooper and made jumps in Germany.
In the United States, he was responsible for underground security at the Pentagon during the Cold War.
His honorable moments included being named an Honorary First Sergeant of the Allied Tactical Air Force, being awarded the Legion of Merit for Noncommissioned Officers, and being awarded the Air and Army Medals with Oak Leaf Clusters in recognition of his impeccable service.
The quiet life
Reichard has lived a century and witnessed the technological advances that have led to the development of modern life. As a child, he saw the basic mode of transportation evolve from the horse to the automobile. He recently passed a medical examination that extended his driver’s license for another three years.
“On Mondays I go to the grocery store and on Wednesdays I run a few errands. When I get home I’m thankful that no one hit me,” he says, laughing. “If I have an accident at my age, everyone says I was wrong, even if I’m right.”
After his wife died 10 years ago, he sold his firearms collection and began collecting LED flashlights of all shapes and sizes.
He leads a lonely, quiet life in Andreas and follows a strict daily schedule: he feeds his cats at a certain time in the morning and completes all his chores by early afternoon.
He finishes work at 1 p.m., and if anyone wants to see him or talk to him, he has the next morning available in his schedule.
His keys to a long life are simple.
“When I was in the Army, I smoked three packs of cigarettes a day, but I quit and I don’t go to the American Legion or VFW to drink. Other than that, I can’t tell you why I’m still here.”
Robert Reichard is one of the few veterans of the 16 million American soldiers who served in World War II who is “still here.”
As he celebrates his 100th birthday and recounts his contribution to preserving the freedom of the people in red, white and blue, his life of service and his legacy are, in his own words, just “one soldier’s story” of many that veterans have to tell.
Editor’s note: Reichard’s book can be read online at One Soldier’s Story.
Veteran Robert Reichard celebrates his 100th birthday today. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
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