William L. Robinson
Introduction
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William Lester Robinson grew up in East Mayport and dropped out of Fletcher High School to join the Army in 1948.He was one of 11 siblings and the oldest of three brothers. His cousin, Harold Eugene Owens, was killed in Vietnam in 1968 and is buried in the military section of the cemetery.
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William Robinson
Government marker
Newspaper story
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Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
William Lester Robinson was the first Korean War casualty from the Jacksonville Beaches. A heavy weapons infantryman who manned a 30-caliber machine gun, Pfc. Robinson was mortally wounded on Aug. 10, 1950, after coming to the aid of two of his fellow soldiers and engaging the enemy in hand-to-hand combat. For his gallantry in action, the 19-year-old soldier received the Silver Star Medal (posthumously) and the Purple Heart. The medals were awarded to his parents during a ceremony at the Jacksonville Beach Community Center in 1951. His upright marble headstone is one of many in the military section of the cemetery.
Sources
Find a Grave
"Mayport native awarded Silver Star in August 1950," The Beaches Leader, May 28, 2003, by Johnny Woodhouse, associate editor