Robert Zimmerman
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Army
Robert Zimmerman, a Cloquet, Minnesota native, enlisted into the Army on October 15, 1940 when he was just 17 years old.
He was in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and Chicago, Illinois until he was sent to Fort Bragg, North Carolina for 20 months. There he served in the 82nd Airborne Division, but he was soon promoted to be cadre head of the newly formed 101st Airborne Division. Their group was then shipped to Camp Claiborne, Louisiana where Robert eventually became a Staff Sergeant. His unit was then recalled back to Fort Bragg and then to Tennessee for maneuvers.
In November of 1943, he spent nine days on the St. Mary, an English ship sailing across the Atlantic, before he ended up in Reading, England. He remained there until June 6, 1944 when he was informed of his future involvement with the D-Day invasion. In September of 1944, his unit was then called to Holland to push the Germans back.
He was given one day of training to be the co-pilot on a glider with the 327th Infantry Division of the 101st Airborne. Zimmerman's plane was shot down during the invasion, and it landed behind enemy lines. He recalls that night as "one of the most terrible nights of the battle of Holland."
Following that, he was put in charge of changing guards on five different outposts every four hours. After the battle and a subsequent three-week push 20 miles to another city, the unit was given “R&R” in France. They were then recalled to Bastogne, Belgium where he was assigned to guard one of the roads entering the city.
On May 10, 1945 Robert was selected to return to the States. He was discharged on May 20th of 1945.
World War II “Cloquet Man Recalls Army Life” Some people have called Robert E. Zimmerman’s cohort the greatest generation. But rather than hero, he prefers to be thought of as just a simple soldier.
“I could write a book about all the things that took place, but I’m 77 years old and tired,” Zimmerman said in a brief history of his experiences from the time he was 17 until the time he was discharged from the United States Army.
“I met Bernice in Chicago, at the Riendza Hotel and lived happily ever after,” he said in the last sentence of his story. The story was compiled by the simple soldier for his family five years ago, and he continues to live happily ever after with his wife Bernice at Aspen Arms in Cloquet. “I’ve lived happy all of my life,” Zimmerman said.
Zimmerman started his story in the years of the Great Depression, from 1929 to 1939 when life was in Zimmerman’s works, “truly a matter of survival.” On Dec. 30, 1939 Zimmerman was issued a Social Security card.
From 1938 to 1940, Zimmerman served in the Civilian Conservation Corps that was formed under the “New Deal” of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The corps’ purpose was to provide income for youth while taking pressure off his parents. Zimmerman said that the pay was $30 per month, with $25 going to his parents and $5 went for the expenses of worker. Clothing, food and shelter were provided by the government for the worker.
“I served in Camp Long Lake, north of Rhinelander. My term expired the spring of 1940,” Zimmerman said. Then Zimmerman was off to Fargo to work in the grain fields because there was no work available near his Bruce, Wisconsin home. Zimmerman and his friend Buck Lee jumped a freight train to Fargo.
