During World War II, the 87th Infantry Division activated for service on Dec. 15, 1942 at Camp McCain in Mississippi. They trained in Tennessee in December of 1943 and at Fort Jackson in South Carolina in January of 1944. They were at Camp Kilmer in New Jersey in October of 1944.

They traveled to England and Scotland arrived in October of 1944. They joined the Third Army and arrived in France in November of 1944. They ventured into Germany in December of 1944 and Belgium in January of 1945 and joined in the fighting that became called The Battle of the Bulge. They fought in Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. They returned to the U.S. in July of 1945 and inactivated on September 21, 1945 at Fort Benning in Georgia. 

Lafayette County soldier, Robert J. Gehrt went on to serve with Battery C of the 334th Field Artillery Battalion of the 87th Division. 

Robert Joseph Gehrt was born on Jan. 18, 1924 in Monticello township in Lafayette County to Karl and Nora (Schwebke) Gehrt.

In the 1930 U.S. Census, the Gehrt family lived in Shullsburg. The family included father Carl, mother Nora and children Rose M. and Robert. Edwin Schwebke, brother to Nora, also lived with them. Carl was a farmer and Edwin was a farm laborer for wages.

In the 1940 U.S. Census, the family were in the same house that they were in Shullsburg in 1935. The family remained intact with the addition of another son, Wayne and without Rose and brother-in-law Edwin. Father Carl continued to work in farming.

On June 30, 1942, Robert Jospeh Gehrt registered for the WWII Draft. He resided in Shullsburg. His next of kin and employer was his father, Carl Gerht.

In the Feb. 12, 1943 Wisconsin State Journal article titled “Lafayette County Men to Report for Duty” the article stated “The following group of Lafayette county selectees passed their physical examinations in Milwaukee on Monday and will report for induction into the army next Monday at Ft. Sheridan.” Included in the list was Robert Gehrt of Shullsburg.

From the March 26, 1945 Wisconsin State Journal notice, “Gehrt, Shullsburg, Killed in Germany,” the article stated “Robert J. Gehrt, 21, corporal technician, was killed in action Feb. 28 in Germany, the war department has informed his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Karl Gehrt, Shullsburg. Corp. Gehrt entered service Feb. 15, 1943 and went overseas Nov. 10, 1944. He was serving with Gen. George Patton’s Third army in the field artillery. A sister, Lieut. Rosemary Gehrt, is an army nurse in England.”

On the FamilySearch family tree, a user wrote that Gehrt was “killed in action in Kobscheid, Germany during the Battle of the Bulge in WW2.”

From the Aug. 24, 1945 Wisconsin State Journal article titled “2 Gratiot, Shullsburg Nurses Back Home from Overseas Duty,” the article stated ‘Lieut. Luella Gille, Gratiot, and Lieut. Rosemary Gehrt, Shullsburg, have arrived home this week for 35-day furloughs from duty with 135th hospital division which saw service in the European theater of war…

Upon her return to Shullsburg, Lieut. Gehrt learned for the first time of the death of her brother, Corp. Robert Gehrt, who was killed in action in Germany in February of this year.”

From the March 10, 1949 Wisconsin State Journal article titled “Bodies of Five Madison, 35 Area Servicemen Returning for Reburial,” the article stated “The bodies of five Madison men and 35 area servicemen are among the 6,785 being returned from Europe to the United States aboard the U.S. Army Transport Barney Kirschbaum, the army announced today…” Included in the list was “Robert J. Gehrt, to Carl Gehrt, Shullsburg…”

Tec5 Robert J. Gehrt was repatriated and reburied in Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church Cemetery in Gratiot. Technician Fifth Grade Gehrt received the Purple Heart, awarded posthumously. He is listed on the Gold Star Honor Roll as being from Lafayette County.

Thank you, Technician Fifth Grade Robert Joseph Gehrt, for your service to and ultimate sacrifice for this country. We honor you and remember you.