My brother met Bob McGuire in 1941, before I was born. When duty called, he answered, strengthening the pattern which he then continued all his life.

Bob McGuire was in the Tank Corps during World War II. He was known as Staff Sgt. Robert E. McGuire. The tank he occupied was hit by mortar fire. Bob escaped injury, and the next day he drove another tank. When that one was destroyed, he was taken prisoner. This is the story he told me.

In 1945, somewhere outside of Nuremberg, Bob and a friend escaped from Stalag 13C, a German prison camp. They rested and slept during the day, hiding wherever they could. They traveled by night, heading toward what they thought would be freedom.

On their journey during one of those days, they fell asleep in the woods. Bob woke up to find himself with a gun held to his face by an SS trooper. He was captured again, along with his friend. They were arrested and brought to the Palace of Justice in Nuremberg. From there, with other prisoners, they were forced on a road march and walked on the famous Autobahn Highway.

When the weather turned foggy one night, Bob and his friend made another escape; but, once again, they were captured. This time, they were taken to an SS camp where they were made to stand outside the headquarters building, waiting for the Oberstadt (top officer) to come outside and question them.

While they were waiting, the guard noticed that Bob was wearing what is known as the Miraculous Medal, a medal with a picture of the mother of God engraved on it, which many Catholics wear as a sign of special devotion to her. The guard asked Bob to remove the medal. Bob refused. The guard grabbed it and pulled it off. He smiled, and then he said in German, "Mutter Gottes" (mother of God). The guard dropped the medal on the ground and with his foot covered the medal with sand. Bob was very angry that his medal had been taken away from him and treated with such disrespect.

Shortly afterwards, the Oberstadt came out, yelled and screamed at the prisoners, and then he interrogated them.

The guard waited until the Oberstadt was finished and went back inside the building. Then, the guard used the bayonet attached to his rifle and pulled the medal up out of the sand. He returned the medal to Bob, again said in German, "Mutter Gottes" and made the sign of the cross. Bob thanked him.

Bob believes that the guard and the medal saved his life that day. And Bob wore that medal until the day he died.

Bob returned from the war and married his sweetheart, Mary. Together, they raised a family of four daughters. They celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary and his 85th birthday. Bob was active in church and community affairs for all the rest of his life.

In 1963, I had the very great pleasure of being a cast member for a community choir's production of Brigadoon, which had long been a popular Broadway musical and was also made into a movie. Bob played the role of Charlie, the eager bridegroom. The other cast members and I were thrilled by Bob's rendition of the hauntingly beautiful ballad, Come To Me, Bend To Me, with his beautiful tenor voice. (Unfortunately, this was one of the Brigadoon songs, originally heard on the Broadway stage, which had been cut from the movie.)

Bob was an active member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, and the Knights of Columbus, to mention some of his activities. He gave the gift of music with his beautiful voice to the church by singing with the church choir, to the public by singing with a community choir, and by singing the National Anthem for community Memorial Day services in recent years. He rose above his trials and tribulations over and over again. Even with declining health, he visited friends and was tireless in his efforts to bring cheer and goodwill to others.

He had a ready smile, a joke. For example, he was stopped for speeding. The way Bob told the tale, when he was questioned, he sympathized with the policeman. Mary interrupted their conversation and asked whether or not the officer was going to give her husband a ticket. To tease his wife, Bob appealed to the officer with his own question, asking him, "Do you see what I have to contend with?" The officer put away his ticket pad and wished Bob good luck.

He fed cookies to the squirrels who visited the backyard. He was a good man, a kind man, a patriot, a staunch ally and a life-long friend. As long as I live, Bob McGuire will always be my hero.

Olinda Wheatley