Robert Wynn (soldier)
| Robert E. Wynn Jr | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Popeye |
| Born |
July 10, 1921 South Hill, Virginia, United States |
| Died | March 18, 2000 (aged 78) South Hill, Virginia, United States |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1942–1945 |
| Rank |
 Sergeant
|
| Unit |
 Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division
|
| Battles/wars | |
Sergeant Robert 'Popeye' Wynn (July 10, 1921 – March 18, 2000) was a non-commissioned officer with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, in the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army during World War II. Wynn was one of the 140 Toccoa men of Easy Company. Wynn was portrayed in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers by Nicholas Aaron.
Robert Wynn was born in July 10, 1921. He was from South Hill, Virginia in Mecklenburg County. In 1941, Wynn attended a machinist course at a vocational school in Norfolk. There he befriended Darrell "Shifty" Powers.
After the Attack on Pearl Harbor, Wynn and Powers along with others in the vocational school were shipped to Navy Shipyard at Portsmouth to work on the battleships. Right before they were about to be frozen to the job, Wynn and Powers enlisted in the army and volunteered for the Paratroopers. They understood that the training would be difficult, so they vowed they would make it to the end, and they made a bet that if either of them quit, that person would have to pay the other ten dollars. Therefore, later when asked by Lieutenant Richard Winters what got him into the paratroopers, Wynn answered, 'Shifty did.'
Both Wynn and Powers were assigned to Easy Company at Camp Toccoa and received training under Captain Herbert Sobel. Wynn was made Sobel's runner in Camp Mackall. One night when Wynn was sent out to locate the platoons, he managed to get 'lost' and spent the night sleeping. Wynn explained to Sobel that he got lost because he could not see in the dark. He was replaced by Edward Tipper, who managed to offer further 'assistance' to Sobel.
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