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Title	Bentz, Robert
Description	Pfc. Robert Bentz, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Bentz of Arlington Heights, was the last of the Bentz's three sons to arrive home from the service after World War II, according to an article in the Daily Herald newspaper on August 23, 1946. The Bentz’s three sons were in different branches of the service: Wilbert Grandt was in the Army, Roger Grandt was in the Navy and Robert was in the Marine Corps. Robert spent a total of 22 months overseas having been in the Okinawa battle, on Guam and in China for the final 8 months. He landed in San Diego on August 9, 1946, and was shipped to Great Lakes where his parents surprised him with a visit. In April 1948, Robert married Dolores E. Koeppl, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Koeppl of Chicago. They were married at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Arlington Heights. The groom’s sister, Mary Jean Bentz, was maid of honor and his brothers were the groomsmen. On April 1, 1995, the Daily Herald had an article on the fiftieth anniversary of the landing on Okinawa and interviewed Robert, then 68 years old, about his role in the battle. When Robert waded onto the beach of Okinawa he weighed 155 pounds and left three months later weighing 125 pounds. He was with the 6th Marine Division and caught shrapnel in his right leg and endured nearly constant fighting, sleepless nights in dank foxholes and a diet of chocolate, cigarettes and coffee. So constant was the shelling that he could distinguish the sounds of enemy and Allied missiles. He was quoted as saying, "I don't know how we ever got off that island alive." This item is part of the collection of the Arlington Heights Historical Society (http://www.ahmuseum.org).
Keywords	Battle of Okinawa
Proper Names	Bentz, Robert Bentz, Arthur H Grandt, Wilbert Grandt, Roger Bentz, Mary Jean Bentz, Dolores Koeppl
Organization	United States Army United States Navy United States Marine Corp St. Peter Lutheran Church
Participant	Arlington Heights Memorial Library with materials owned by the Arlington Heights Historical Society
Date	Circa 1941-42
Type	Photograph
Format	Paper
City	Arlington Heights
State	Illinois
Country	United States
Decade	1940-1949
Copyright	Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG), 100 DPI, 8-bit color (256 colors)
AcquisitionData	Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG), 100 DPI, 8-bit color (256 colors)
DateCataloged	2009-08-04
PlaceKept	Located at the Arlington Heights Historical Museum, AHHS Collection, Arlington Heights Historical Society Archives
Language	English