ALTON SOLDIER HOME FROM ANZIO BEACH
Sgt. Bob Streff Served in Africa, Sicily and Italy.
“Hello, Mom, How about some board and room?” was the telephone greeting of Sgt. Robert Streff to his mother on his return from over two years service with the U.S. Army overseas.
His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Felix Streff, has heard from his buddies that their son was enroute home, but had no word from him until he telephones from Sioux City last Wednesday. So his mother did not recognize his voice and only replied, “Why, I guess so---“ before she “came to” and discovered who was talking.
Since Bob has been in the African, Sicilian and Italian campaigns he has probably seen more action than any other soldier in this vicinity. His service stripes shows a strip of green for service in Ireland; brown for the deserts of Africa; blue for service on French soil; and stripes for Sicily and Italy; also the stripe to show he served before Pearl Harbor.
Asked which campaign was the toughest he replied that all were tough enough but that the Anzio beachhead “was slaughter.” He went into action the second day after landing and the Germans came on in waves and were mowed down by our men. Our losses were heavy, too, for all the men could do was “dig in” and fight off the Germans until more forces could be landed.
A stocky, well-tanned soldier with a merry smile, Bob has lost every speck of excess poundage and looks every inch the soldier. He left Italy the first week of May and from several sources, the family learned he was enroute home. Naturally, they are delighted to have him back and have forgotten the anxious years now in the past.
Source: The Alton Democrat, June 22, 1944 (photo included)
Sgt. Bob Streff, son of Mr. and Mrs. Felix Streff of Alton, visited friends here Thursday. He is spending a furlough at the home of his parents.
Source: Alton Democrat, April 19, 1945
