House Resolution 104

(As Adopted by House)

A RESOLUTION HONORING AND COMMENDING MR. K.T. ROBBINS FOR HIS EXTRAORDINARY SERVICE TO THE UNITED STATES IN WORLD WAR II, AND MANY CONTRIBUTIONS TO HIS COMMUNITY.

WHEREAS, born July 4, 1921, in Union County, Mississippi, Mr. K.T. Robbins courageously served his country during World War II, and is truly an outstanding inspiration to all; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Robbins grew up working the farm with his parents, and in 1939, he left the farm and high school to voluntarily join the United States Army, where he valiantly served in the 26th Infantry, 21st Division; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Robbins entered the Army as Infantry, completed his basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia, and was later assigned to lead a Bakery Division, where he moved between France, Iceland, England and Germany, serving under Patton's 3rd Army; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Robbins was WWII, D-Day + 3 Normandy; entering through Utah Beach, and he sat on his ship in the ocean, waiting his turn and watching as fellow soldiers stormed the beaches of Normandy ahead of him, and there were 800 ships waiting there off the Normandy shore; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Robbins has recounted hearing the guns, seeing the large explosions from the fighting on the beach, and as his company drove their trucks of equipment off the ship, onto the beach at Normandy, the ocean water was coming into their trucks, and the beach was a terrible site from the battle just fought; and

WHEREAS, they advanced about 20 miles inland, and spent the night, sleeping on the ground under some trees, and this is where Mr. Robbins joined Patton's 3rd Army, and while stationed in Metz, France, he met a young French girl and fell in love, but their time together was short and the Army soon moved him quickly to other locations, and then returned him to the United States in 1945; and

WHEREAS, without today's technology of computers and cell phones, the young lovers did not hear from one another for 75 years; and

WHEREAS, upon returning to the United States, Mr. Robbins met and married Mrs. Lillian Robbins, and they started Robbins Hardware Store, where they worked side by side for 35 years; and

WHEREAS, Mr. and Mrs. Robbins moved to Olive Branch, Mississippi, in 1970, where they built their house, and he was also instrumental in securing the land and the building of Longview Baptist Church, where he still faithfully attends; and

WHEREAS, things were different a few years ago, and Mr. Robbins attended some business courses at Ole Miss, though he had never completed high school, but always wished he had; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Robbins was on schedule to graduate from Hurricane High School in Pontotoc County, Mississippi, in 1942, but he joined the war effort instead, but 75 years later, at the age of 96, he got his wish, and he earned his high school degree from DeSoto County Schools in 2017; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Robbins and Lillian were married for 70 years before God called her home, and several years after her passing, he became involved with a veteran's organization called Forever Young Veterans, and this nonprofit organization, among other things, returns veterans to where they served, allowing the veterans to see that their service did make a difference in other lives and helped to heal many wounds for these men and women; and

WHEREAS, in 2019, Forever Young returned Mr. Robbins to Normandy for the 75th anniversary of D-Day with 14 other WWII veterans, and there, he saw the beautiful country that France is now, where his memories had been of a war-torn country full of death and tragedy; and

WHEREAS, it was on this trip that, Mr. Robbins was reunited with his first love from all those years ago, thanks to Forever Young Veterans and French TV reporter, Agnes Vahramian; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Robbins continues to live in Olive Branch in the home that he and Lillian built, and today, at 102 years of age, he continues to serve God, his church, his community and neighbors, and he is a great example to all who know him; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to recognize and honor great, heroic Mississippians, especially those such as Mr. Robbins, whose selfless service to his country and devotion to his faith brings honor to the State of Mississippi and to the United States of America:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby honor and commend Mr. K.T. Robbins for his extraordinary service to the United States in World War II, and many contributions to his community, and extend best wishes for continued success in all his future endeavors.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to Mr. K.T. Robbins, and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.