US Army SSGT Robert Edgar McNair was born in Samson, Alabama on March 31, 1917, the son of Hilliard Wesley McNair (1886-1959) and Olive Clyde Childs (1887-1932). His father was born in Pensacola and would marry Olive on December 23, 1913, in Geneva County, Alabama. He would enter the work force shortly thereafter as a post office mail carrier in Millview in Escambia County. He was still carrying the mail in 1930 with a new residence in Kupfrians Park. Olive would pass away in 1932 leaving her husband to see to their home and children. During the following year of 1933, Hilliard would marry Martha L. Pfeiffer. In 1940, Hilliard and Martha had moved to Ensley where he was still a postman for the WPA government program. However, by 1941 the two had gone their separate ways. He would remarry again to Theodosia Agnes "Dosie" Glazner Burgess (1893-1954) and remain with her until her death on July 7, 1954. Hilliard would finally retire as a postal carrier and minister before passing away in Florence County, South Carolina from congestive heart failure on March 14, 1959. His remains were returned home and buried next to Olive in the Union Hill Cemetery in Pensacola.
Their son Robert Edgar would attend Pensacola High School and graduate (Class of 1935) as did his siblings Bernice, Wilbur, and Wilmer. Two years after high school he would marry Vivian Loray Richards (1919-1980) in Santa Rosa County. She was the daughter of a Pea Ridge farmer, Joseph Julius Richards (1875-1956) and Julia Eugene Wyse (1889-1972). To support this new wife, he went to work prior to 1940 for Mr. Mallie Lee Tucker of Tucker Taxi Company at 216 North Alcaniz Street before going to work for the post office until he enlisted in the Army.
Then came the war and the patriotic fever that infected many of the young men and women in Pensacola. Robert would enlist in the US Army on March 13, 1943, and was sent to Camp Blanding, FL or processing and orientation. From there he was sent to basic training at Camp Joseph T. Robinson in Little Rock, Arkansas before being assigned to the 109th Infantry Regiment attached to the 28th Infantry Division. The division went through arduous training at Camp Fannin, TX and then to Ft. Meade, MA. When all was ready, they were sent overseas to England in October 1943. After even more training they finally came ashore at Normandy on July 22 1944, and five days later were sent into combat. After breaking out from the coast, they fought their way to Paris, marching through the French capital on August 29th. They fought through the Siegfried Line before being thrust into the Battle of the Hurtgen Forest on September 19th. It quickly became the longest continuous battle fought by the Army during the entire war. Thus, the casualties were horrendous for so little gained for their effort. And sadly, one of those casualties was SSGT Robert Edgar McNair from Pensacola after he was shot and killed by a German machine gun.
His body was turned over to the graves registration company and buried in a military cemetery. Vivian and his parents were notified by the War Department at her home at 81 Aragon Court of her husband's death and the disposition of his remains. She was given his Purple Heart and his Bronze Star medal with oak cluster for her husband's bravery in combat. Robert was returned home in June 1950 and laid to rest in the Union Hill Cemetery in Pensacola. Vivian would remarry in time as she went on with her life. Prior to her own death in 1980, she would see their daughter Glynda Kaye married to Franklin Michael Andrews in 1962 and the birth of her grandchildren. Vivian would join Robert in the Union Hill Cemetery where they were eparated no more!
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