Robert D. Clements was born in 1925 to Howard and Ethel Clements who then resided in West Brandywine Township Pennsylvania, just north of Coatesville. His father worked as a House Painter.

Robert was the second youngest of 8 of children: Helen, Howard, Andrew, Raymond, Robert, George, and Richard, and Walter.

The family later moved to West Chester and lived at 118 East Gay Street, and later moved to 25 South Church St.

Robert attended local schools and enlisted in the Army at the outbreak of World War II when our Nation was attacked. He was assigned to Company B, of the 323rd Medical Battalion.  Robert was stationed at Camp Rucker, Alabama, before shipping overseas to serve in the South Pacific.

 

Robert was discharged from the Army in 1948.  He was called into the Army Reserves in 1950 and reenlisted for 6 years the following year.   Robert was assigned to the 171^st Evacuation Hospital, part of the Fifth Army in Korea.  The unit was a 400 bed mobile hospital, different then the Mobile Army Surgical Unit - MASH, popularly portrayed on the TV series.

Robert married Betty Dooley before he shipped overseas to Korea.  They moved to Malvern, living at 138 Church St.

Sergeant Robert D. Clements was Killed In Action on February 1, 1953.

Robert’s wife, Betty, received the telegram from the Department of Defense on Friday, February 6^th.

Robert, serving as an MP (Military Police) attached to the 171^st Evacuation Hospital in Tajon, Korea, was the Sergeant of the Guards. He attempted to arrest a suspect in a fatal stabbing and was fatally shot.

Services were held at the Famous Funeral Home at 101 South Church Street in West Chester on Saturday April 11^th. Interment with full military honors was at Greenmount Cemetery on Westtown Road (just south of Market St.) in West Chester.

Besides his wife Betty, he was survived by two daughters: Susan Diane 20 months, and Davine Lee, three months.

His brother Raymond served in the Navy and his brother George served in the Army in the South Pacific during World War II. George also served during the Korean War.