Sink, Robert Frederick “Bounding Bob”.

Sink, Robert Frederick “Bounding Bob”, born 03-04-1905 in Lexington, North Carolina, to Frederick Obediah Sink (1875- 1939) and his wife Mary Wilson, born Cecil, Sink (1880–1975). Robert had on sister and three brothers, Daphne Maria Sink Rose (1901–1980), Charles Varner Sink (1907–1977), Joseph Stanford Sink (1911–1983) and Fred O. Sink (1923–1975).

Robert began his military career upon graduation at West Point He graduated in 1927, finishing 174th out of 203 cadets of his year. His first assignment as a Second Lieutenant was with the Eight Infantry, nickname “Golden Arrow Division”  at Fort Screven, Georgia. In November 1929, he was assigned to the 65^th Infantry, nickname “Battle-Axe”  at San Juan, Puerto Rico. In March 1932, he  joined the 34^th Infantry, nickname “Red Bull”  at Fort Meade, MD, and remained with this unit until July 1933, when he was assigned to duty with the Civilian Conservation Corps at McAlevy’s Fort, Pennsylvania until December of that same year. He then returned to the 34^th Infantry. Following graduation from the Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia, in September 1934, he was assigned to the 57^th Infantry at Fort McKinley, Philippine Islands.

He   returned to the United States in November 1937, and was assigned to the 25^th Infantry at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, where he served successively as Company Commander and Regimental Operations Officer. Sink’s first encounter with the airborne took place in November 1940, when he was assigned to the 501^st Parachute Infantry Battalion  at Fort Benning.  He later commanded the 503^rd Parachute Infantry Battalion and the 503^rd Parachute Infantry Regiment. In July 1942, he was named as Commander of the 506^th Parachute Infantry Regiment, nickname “Easy Company”  at Camp Toccoa, Georgia; Fort Benning, Georgia and Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In September 1943, he moved to

Europe with the 506^th PIR, called, Five oh Sink, commanding it until the end of hostilities there. Sink’s 506 Easy company liberated my hometown Eindhoven

during Operation Market Garden, (see Dick Winters) Band of Brothers (see Anthony McAuliffe) (see About) in September 1944. On 12-08-1945, Sink was named Assistant Division Commander of the 101^st Airborne Division, the “Screaming Eagles”

.     The 101 Airborne Division had the next losses during their campaign in Europe; In Normandy, killed/died of wounds 868, wounded in action 2.303, missing/captured 665. In Holland killed 752, wounded 2.151 and missing 398. In the battle of the Bulge in Belgium, killed 482, wounded 2.449 and missing 527, in total killed 2.043, wounded 2.782 and missed 1590. This next photo was taken at Fort Campbell, KY in 1952, when Sink was the Assistant Commander of the 11^th Airborne Division.

    On 08-05-1945: Colonel Sink (center) accepts the surrender of the German LXXXII Corps from the Commanding General, Generalleutnant der Infanterie, Theodor Tolsdorff, the youngest General, with 42, Walter Wenck,  both survived the war. 

He captured in August 1944, the German General Ludwig Bieringer   commander of 7th Motor-Transport-Battalion, of Field Kommandantur 800. Bieringer was released in May 1947 and died on 22-01-1975, age 82, in Hanover.

In December 1945, Sink returned to the United States and the following month assumed command of the infantry detachment of the United States Military Academy. He entered the National War College at Washington, DC, in August 1948, graduating in June 1949. Sink then was transferred to the Ruckus Command and became Chief of Staff in October 1949. In January 1951, he was named Assistant Commander of the Seventh Infantry Division in Korea. He returned to the United States and assumed Command of the  XVIII Airborne Corps  and Fort Bragg in May 1957. In May 1958, he was announced as Commander, Strategic Army Corps (STRAC), United States Army. His last major command was as Commander of United States forces in Panama.

Death and burial ground of Sink, Robert Frederick “Bounding Bob”.

     Lieutenant General Robert Frederick Sink the all round General,  retired in 1961. He died on 13-12-1965, age 60. He is buried with his wife Margaret , who died age 53 on 29-04-1963, Grave 320 A on Arlington National Cemetery. In Section 1 also buried, General Follet Bradley, Jacob Devers and Roderick Allen.

 

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