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Robert E. Schmal (1910-1999)

Home...BiographiesRobert E. Schmal (1910-1999)

Robert E. Schmal (1910-1999)

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    ca. 1915    		 Placeholder
    In the military
The following February 18, 1943, Lowell Tribune article was found on page 2, columns 1-2:
    First Lieut. Robert E. Schmal has just been transferred from Camp Robinson, at Little Rock, Ark., to the Shenango replacement depot at Greenville, Pa., where, he says, he has been placed in command of a company which is stationed there to "get men ready to go sailing". This place is new and a long way from being finished and there's mud everywhere, but I suppose in time things will get straightened out."

This April 15, 1943, Lowell Tribune article was found on page 5, column 3:
    Fred Schmal spent last week in Greenville, Pa., visiting his son, Lieut. Robert Schmal, stationed at the Shenango Replacement Center.
The following article was found in the April 29, 1943, Lowell Tribune on page 2, column 3:
    Lt. Robert Schmal, who arrived home Tuesday morning on an expected 10-day leave, was suddenly recalled this morning to report back at Shenango Replacement Center in Pennsylvania, where he has been stationed for some time. Lt. Schmal was supposed to have been transferred to a camp in Georgia, but this order was cancelled by telegram from his commanding officer last night in addition to cutting his visit home to two days.
The following June 29, 1944, Lowell Tribune article was found on page 3, column 2:

    Promoted to Captain

    Robert Schmal, son of Fred Schmal, writes his father that he has been promoted from the rank of Lieutenant to that of Captain, which, says Bob, gives him a different slant on life from an army viewpoint. Capt. Schmal, who enlisted in the army two years ago last February, is the third Lowell boy attaining that rank. The first was Capt. LaVerne McNay, formerly of Lowell and the other Capt. Abbott Dinwiddie.
The following October 19, 1944, Lowell Tribune article was found on page 5, column, 3:
    Mr. and Mrs. Fred W. Schmal have returned from a visit with their son, Capt. Robert Schmal and family at Greenville, Pa.

This April 19, 1945, Lowell Tribune article was found on page 2, column 2:

    Captain Robert Schmal and family arrived here from Shenango, Pa. where he is stationed, last Wednesday night for a visit with his parents, sisters and brother.
This May 2, 1945, Lowell Tribune article was found on page 2, column 2:
    Capt. Robert Schmal and family have returned to Harrisburg, Pa., where he is stationed, after being here with his parents, sisters and brother for the past ten days.
This May 31, 1945, Lowell Tribune article was found on page 2, column 1:
    In a letter to his sister, Mrs. Hugh Hutton, Capt. Robert Schmal writes that he has been transferred from Pennsylvania to Fort Jackson, S.C.
This April 25, 1946, Lowell Tribune article was found on page 2, columns 1-2:
    On Saturday morning, April 12th, at Fort Jackson, S.C., Captain Robert E. Schmal was presented the Army Commendation Ribbon for meritorious service from July 1, 1944 to March 14, 1946.
    The Commendation Ribbon was presented by Major General Clarence A. Martin, Commanding General of Fort Jackson. Following the presentations, the five regiments of ASF Personnel Replacement Depot passed in review.
    Captain Schmal is now assigned as Commanding Officer of Co. "E", 5th Tng. Regiment with the Depot.
    The citation is as follows:
    Captain Schmal, Inf. Army Serical Number 0306795. for meritorious service in connection with the operation of the Army Service Forces Personnel Replacement Depot, Fort Jackson, South Carolina from 1 July 1944 to 14 March 1946. Captain Schmal's foresight, organizational ability, and superior leadership has materially contributed to the Depot efficiency. Entered service from Indiana.
This July 4, 1946, Lowell Tribune article was found on page 5, column 3:
    Captain Robert Schmal, who has been stationed at Camp Kimberly, is here with his family, visiting his father, Fred Schmal, and wife, and his sister, Mrs. Hugh Hutton, and family, and brother, Dick. Bob will go to the west coast following his furlough and sail from there for overseas duty.
This Lowell Tribune article was found in the September 11, 1947, issue (page 1, column 5):

    GETS PROMOTED TO MAJOR IN U.S. ARMY

    Captain Robert Schmal, on duty with the U.S. occupation forces on the island of Guam, has been promoted to Major in the officers' reserve corps. Capt. Schmal has elected to remain on active duty, his present rank, and when he retires from army duty will hold the rank of Major.
    Captain Schmal, son of the Fred Schmals, has been on active duty with the U.S. forces the past five years.
This December 4, 1947, Lowell Tribune article was found on page 1, column 3:

    JOINS HUSBAND ON ISLAND OF GUAM

    Word received by us from the war department on Tuesday says that Mrs. Robert Schmal and daughter had arrived in Guam to join Captain Schmal, who has been stationed there for some time. Before joining the U.S. forces during World War II, Captain Schmal was manager of the Ritz theatre here, under the ownership of Curt Laemmle. The Schmal family have taken up residence in Agafo Gumas, near the Marbo Headquarters.
The following November 22, 1951, Lowell Tribune article was found on page 1, column 5:
    Interesting letters are received by Fred Schmal and family from his son, Capt. Robert Schmal, who has served in Korea for more than a year as an infantry captain leading South Korean soldiers. Bob, who graduated from L.H.S. in '29 and from Indiana university in '33, will mark his 20th year as a commissioned officer when he retires as a major in June of '53. When called to active service at the start of Korean hostilities, Bob was teaching at St. Joseph's Military Academy in Michigan.
This January 10, 1952, Lowell Tribune article was found on page 1, column 5:
    Capt. Robert Schmal, who for more than a year has been leading South Korean soldiers, left Korea November 26th and arrived in Lowell Monday for a visit in the homes of his parents, the Fred Schmals, his brother Dick, and sisters, Mrs. George Keithley and Mrs. Hugh Hutton.
The following Jan. 6, 1955, Lowell Tribune article was found on page 1, column 2:

    Major Schmal in Europe

    U.S. Forces, Austria -- Major Robert E. Schmal, son of Fred W. Schmal, Lowell, recently arrived in Europe for duty with the U.S. Forces in Austria.

    Troops of the United States, Great Britain, France, and the USSR have constituted a security force on duty in Austria since the end of World War II. Personnel of USFA also maintain a port of embarkation at Leghorn, Italy.

    Major Schmal, a veteran of __ years of Army service, is a comptroller in the Comptroller Section.

    The Major is a graduate of Lowell high school, class of 1929 and Indiana University, Bloomington.

This December 22, 1999, article was taken from the on-line copy of the Los Gatos (California) Weekly Times:

    Robert E. Schmal

    Lt. Col. Robert E. Schmal of Los Gatos died Nov. 16 at the age of 89.

    Schmal was born on Oct. 10, 1910, in Lowell, Ind. He graduated from the University of Indiana in 1933 with a degree in fine arts.

    He was commissioned as a U.S. Army 2nd lieutenant in June 1933, which began a 30-year military career. He served in World War II and later was a military adviser to the 1st ROK Division of the Korean Army during the Korean War. He earned a Bronze Star. On a second tour of duty in Korea, he served as special adviser to the ROK Army and was awarded the Outstanding Service Medal by the Republic of Korea. Schmal served three years in Berlin and Munich, Germany; Vienna, Austria; and Trieste, Italy. He earned the Army Commendation Medal for Meritorious Service.

    After military retirement, Schmal took a job with the U.S. Department of Defense as a senior contract negotiating officer assigned to various Bay Area defense contractors.

    Schmal, a resident of Los Gatos since 1962, exhibited paintings throughout the area and supported the Villa Montalvo Art Center. He also belonged to the Los Gatos Art Association, the Campbell Artist Guild and the Art Beat Gallery. He enjoyed golf and fishing, and he was well-known among friends for hand-tying exotic specialty flies.

    Survivors include wife of 42 years Phyllis Schmal; daughter Judy Knefelkamp; grandchildren Sarah and Craig Knefelkamp and Kimberly Knefelkamp Zimmerling; and brother Richard Schmal.

    Memorial services have been held. Donations may be made to EMQ Children and Family Services, 251 Llewellyn Ave., Campbell, 95008.

Last updated on June 7, 2006.

Go to Robert Schmal, "Pioneer History Index," for further information.

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