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PRIVATE ROBERT McGOWAN WAGNER was born in California on
August 19, 1920. He lived most of his life in Berlin NJ,
where he attended local elementary schools, and sang in
the church choir of the Berlin Baptist Church. After
graduating from Haddonfield Memorial High School in
Haddonfield NJ, he took a job at a hosiery mill in Palmyra
NJ.
Private
Wagner enlisted in the Marine Corp at Philadelphia in
January of 1942. He trained at Parris Island SC, Quantico
VA, and New River NC before leaving the United States in March of 1942,
never having had a furlough. He served with Unit 450, 5th
Marines, 1st Marine Division. He participated
in the invasion on August 7th, 1942 of Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, which
was the
first land offensive against the Japanese. During an
aerial bombing attack, in the presence of John Everett Martin,
Jr. of Berlin NJ, he was killed on October 8th,
1942, and interred in the U.S. Cemetery there. He was
entitled to wear the Asiatic-Pacific Theater Ribbon and
was awarded posthumously the Purple Heart Medal.
Robert
Wagner was brought home to New Jersey after the war. He was buried at
Beverly National Cemetery on March 13, 1948.
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