Robert’s mother, born in 1896, died in 1930, aged 34, one month after giving birth to her daughter Mary. Her chicken farmer husband Clint was left with raising Charles, Dorothy, Prince (Robert), Billie Jack, Harold (“Gene”) and Mary on the rural farm in Pert, Anderson County.

After his enlistment, Robert Rogers was sent overseas and assigned to the 381st Bomb Group / 532nd Bomb Squadron as a Tail Gunner. He was Killed In Action (KIA) in the loss of B-17G # 43-38780 on the Squadron’s 11 December 1944 mission to bomb the bridge over the Rhine at Mannheim, Germany. The memorial plaque for him at the Olive Branch Cemetery in Brushy Creek, Anderson County, Texas mentions “In Memory of Robert Prince Rogers, Aug. 11, 1923 – Dec. 12, 1945 – Died in Service of His Country – World War II in Germany” [ As he was first considered Missing in Action, his statute was “FOD” (Finding of Death), with the usual 1 year+1 day date of death mentioned in such cases. Robert’s remains were identified later and buried with full honors in France.)