Wilson, Robert L. Jr.

Description

Robert Lourie Wilson Jr. was born on September 16, 1895, on Intervale Place in Rye, New York, the son of Robert Wilson Sr. and Mary Lourie Leishman Wilson. His father served for many years as a member of the Rye Police Department and was stationed at Oakland Beach. Robert grew up in a large family with brothers John, James, and Charles Donald Wilson and sisters Margaret and Agnes.

Raised in Rye during the village’s transition from a rural community into a growing suburban town, Wilson attended the Rye public schools and became well known throughout the community. Local newspapers later described him as one of the village’s most popular young men. Before entering military service he worked in plumbing for approximately a year and a half and also found employment as a gardener.

Wilson registered for the World War I draft on June 5, 1917, while residing at 216 North Street in Rye. Twenty-one years old, he was employed as a laborer by S. H. Graham, Inc. His draft registration described him as tall with a medium build, brown eyes, and red hair.

World War I Service

Shortly after the United States entered World War I, Wilson volunteered for military service, enlisting in the United States Marine Corps in New York City on December 20, 1917. His enlistment came well before he would have been drafted, making him one of the first young men from Rye to volunteer after America’s declaration of war. His younger brother, John, soon followed him into military service.

Wilson completed recruit training at Parris Island, South Carolina, before receiving advanced infantry instruction at Marine Barracks, Quantico, Virginia. During training he developed into an exceptional rifle marksman, winning several Marine Corps shooting medals and enough prize money to purchase a substantial amount of life insurance before leaving for France.

 

On March 27, 1918, Wilson arrived in France with the 49th Company, 5th Marine Regiment, part of the famed 2nd Infantry Division serving with the American Expeditionary Forces. The 5th Marines earned an enduring reputation as one of the most distinguished combat regiments in American military history. During World War I, the regiment fought in many of the war’s decisive campaigns, including Belleau Wood, the Aisne Defensive, the Battle of Château-Thierry, the Aisne-Marne Offensive, the Saint-Mihiel Offensive, and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, earning the French Fourragère for extraordinary heroism in combat.

Wilson’s official Marine Corps service record documents his participation in the Toulon Sector, the Aisne Defensive, Château-Thierry, the Aisne-Marne Offensive, the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the Champagne Campaign, the crossing of the Meuse River, and subsequent service with the Army of Occupation in Germany. His record also confirms that he was wounded in action twice, first on June 6, 1918, and again on July 19, 1918.

Wilson became the first Rye serviceman officially reported wounded in France. A telegram from the Commandant of the Marine Corps informed his father that his son had been wounded while serving with the Marines. Subsequent reports revealed that he had been struck by enemy sniper fire while advancing through a village from which German forces were being driven. Physicians described the wound as “clean” and expected a full recovery, noting that his excellent physical condition would aid his return to duty. Friends who contacted the War Department were assured that he would soon rejoin his detachment of the famed “First to Fight” Marines.

The courage of the Wilson family became part of Rye’s wartime story. When informed of her son’s wounds, his mother reportedly remarked that if Robert were to die, her only regret would be that he had not been given more time to do his duty. Her words reflected the extraordinary patriotism and sacrifice displayed by many American families during the First World War.

Wilson remained proud of his regiment and occasionally wrote home describing life at the front. In one letter to his close friend Fred J. Selzer of Rye, he vividly recalled the Marines’ first great offensive:

“Maybe you have heard about us, but if you didn’t I will say that we sure set the ball rolling not long ago and believe me, boy, the Germans thought Hell sure had broken loose. Early one morning we started after them and before they knew what was coming we were on top of them.”

He later recounted the words of a captured German officer:

“One German officer prisoner we have told us that he had fought the English, French, Algerians and Canadians and all the rest, but that he never fought a bunch like us, who cared not a damn for all the machine guns they had. They thought we were either crazy or pure devils, and believe me they found out we were both.”

Wilson also shared quieter moments from overseas. While serving behind the lines he unexpectedly reunited with two old friends from home—George MacIntyre of Port Chester and George Harvey—meetings that lifted his spirits and reminded him of life in Rye. He praised the work of the American Red Cross, the YMCA, and other relief organizations, writing that if he survived the war he would always support them because “they cannot be beat.”

Throughout his deployment, Wilson worried that his family had not received his letters because his regiment moved so frequently that mail often failed to catch up with him. Despite the hardships of war, he recovered from both wounds, returned to active duty, served with the Army of Occupation following the Armistice, and was authorized to wear the French Fourragère, awarded to members of the 5th Marine Regiment for repeated acts of extraordinary heroism.

After serving overseas from March 27, 1918, until July 5, 1919, Wilson was honorably discharged as a Private First Class on August 13, 1919. His military service placed him among the Marines who established the legendary reputation of the 5th Marine Regiment during World War I.

Life After Service

Returning to Rye after the war, Wilson remained deeply rooted in the community where he had been born and raised. He worked as a chauffeur and truck driver before becoming a self-employed landscape gardener, maintaining homes and properties throughout Rye for many years.

He remained active in veterans’ affairs as a member of American Legion Post 128 in Rye and was also a member of the Rye Presbyterian Church.

Robert Lourie Wilson Jr. died suddenly of an apparent heart attack at his home, 197 North Street in Rye, on March 29, 1962, at the age of 66.

At the time of his death, he was survived by his wife, the former Ethel Adele Ganun; his brothers James Wilson of Greenwich and Charles Wilson of Rye; and his sisters Margaret Bailey of Brewster and Agnes McCarthy of the Bronx.

Robert Lourie Wilson Jr.’s service exemplified the courage and determination of the United States Marines during the First World War. As one of Rye’s earliest volunteers, the first serviceman from the community officially reported wounded in France, a twice-wounded combat veteran of the famed 5th Marine Regiment, and a participant in nearly every major campaign fought by the Marine Brigade, his story remains one of the most distinguished military records among the veterans honored on Rye’s World War I Memorial.

 

Historical Assessment

Documentation Level: Exceptional (A+)

Robert Lourie Wilson Jr. is among the best-documented World War I veterans in the RyeVets collection. His biography is supported by official United States Marine Corps service records, World War I draft registration records, multiple contemporary Rye newspaper articles, his obituary, and firsthand letters written from the battlefields of France.

Military Significance
Wilson served with the legendary 5th Marine Regiment, one of the most distinguished combat units in American military history. His official Marine Corps service record documents participation in the Toulon Sector, the Aisne Defensive, Château-Thierry, the Aisne-Marne Offensive, the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the Champagne Campaign, the crossing of the Meuse River, and service with the Army of Occupation following the Armistice. He was wounded in action on two separate occasions and earned the right to wear the French Fourragère, awarded to members of his regiment for extraordinary heroism in combat. In addition, under the eligibility criteria established when the Purple Heart was reauthorized in 1932, these combat wounds would have qualified him for the decoration.

Historical Significance
Wilson holds a unique place in Rye’s history as the first serviceman from the community officially reported wounded in France during World War I. Contemporary newspaper coverage followed his military service throughout the war, preserving both his family’s remarkable response to his wounds and his own vivid descriptions of combat with the United States Marines.

Research Highlights
This biography incorporates rare firsthand quotations from Wilson’s wartime correspondence describing combat on the Western Front, together with detailed Marine Corps service records documenting his campaigns, wounds, and assignments. Few World War I biographies preserve this combination of official military documentation and personal narrative, making this one of the most complete historical profiles in the RyeVets archive.

RyeVets Historical Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)

This biography represents one of the finest examples of the museum-quality research and historical documentation preserved by RyeVets, combining official military records, contemporary newspaper reporting, and firsthand accounts to tell the story of one of Rye’s most distinguished World War I veterans.