Robert P. Washburn served in the U.S. Army as a Private First Class with the 307th Infantry, 77th Infantry Division during World War II. On May 18, 1945, while acting as the machine gun section leader during fighting around Chocolate Drop Hill on Okinawa, he was struck by grenade fragments during intense hand-to-hand fighting. He died shortly thereafter. He is buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Hawaii. He was awarded a Purple Heart, World War II Victory Medal, American Campaign Medal, Army Presidential Unit Citation and Army Good Conduct Medal.
