Robert Sink

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

In July 1942, Sink assumed command of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment at Camp Toccoa, Georgia. His primary task was building the regiment's officer corps and constructing obstacle courses to test the men. In December 1942, inspired by a Reader's Digest article about a Japanese battalion marching 100 miles in 70 hours, Sink ordered the 2nd Battalion of the 506th to march from Camp Toccoa to Atlanta. They covered 118 miles in exactly 75 hours, a feat that tested their endurance and cohesion before they ever saw combat. The regiment attached to the 101st Airborne Division on 1 June 1943, arriving in England by September where they were billeted in Wiltshire villages including Aldbourne and Ramsbury. On D-Day, Sink parachuted into Normandy from the lead plane of the 439th Troop Carrier Group. He led the regiment through the Battle of Normandy, Market Garden, and the Battle of the Bulge, including the Siege of Bastogne, until the final month of the war in Europe.

In Their Own Story

The rain slicked the tarmac as Sink prepared for the jump into Normandy on D-Day. He boarded the lead plane of the 439th Troop Carrier Group, commanding the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment from the front. His leadership style was direct and personal; he spoke to his soldiers man-to-man, fostering a sense of "we" that turned disparate groups into a unified fighting force. While often called "Bourbon Bob" for his drinking habits, Major Richard Winters observed that it never affected Sink's ability to lead. The regiment under his command was so closely identified with him that they became known as the "Five-Oh-Sink." Throughout the European campaign, from the chaotic drops of D-Day to the defense of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge and the subsequent invasion of Germany, Sink remained at the helm. General Maxwell D. Taylor later recalled that Sink was among the bravest men he knew, exposing himself to enemy fire more than anyone else in the division.

Reader's Guide

Robert Sink's career extends far beyond his time with the 506th PIR. After serving as assistant division commander of the 101st Airborne on 12 August 1945, he commanded an infantry detachment at West Point and graduated from the National War College in June 1949. His service continued in the Ryukyus Command in Japan as chief of staff before his promotion to brigadier general in January 1951. During the Korean War, he served as assistant division commander of the 7th Infantry Division. In December 1951, he became assistant division commander of the 11th Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, followed by command of the 7th Armored Division and later the 44th Infantry Division as a Major General in November 1953. His final assignments included the Joint Airborne Troop Board, service in Brazil from early 1955 where he chaired the US Delegation to the Joint Brazil–United States Military Commission, command of the XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg in May 1957, and leadership of Strategic Army Corps (STRAC) in May 1958. He retired as a lieutenant general in 1961 due to declining health.

Did You Know?

• Sink ordered the 2nd Battalion to march 118 miles from Camp Toccoa to Atlanta in 75 hours after reading about a Japanese unit's march.
• The 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment was nicknamed the 'Five-Oh-Sink' due to his leadership.
• Sink parachuted into Normandy on D-Day from the lead plane of the 439th Troop Carrier Group.
• He retired in 1961 as a lieutenant general after serving as commander of US forces in Panama.
• Major Richard Winters believed Sink's nickname 'Bourbon Bob' did not affect his leadership capabilities.