In Memory of Robert T. "Doc" Kauth, Trained at Camp Maxey, 2nd Infantry Division, 5 Battle Stars, Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart

Robert T. "Doc" Kauth, D.D.S. of West Bend, died peacefully at Kathy’s Hospice surrounded by his family on Sunday June 24, 2007 at 87 years of age.

Bob was the sweetheart and loving husband to Elaine, his wife of 64 years.

Bob will by deeply missed by his wife and five children, Mike (Ellen) of Menomonee Falls, Kathy (Bob) Dums of Denton N.C., Patti (Dave) Bavlnka of Sun Prairie, Jon (Kay) of West Bend and Arleen "Dolly" (Tom) Steepy of Colgate.

Bob was born Aug. 5, 1919 to the late Dr. Philip M. Kauth and Mabel (nee Roddy) Kauth in the family home in Slinger.

Bob lived in Slinger until 1929 when the family moved to West Bend. He attended Holy Angles School and later graduated from West Bend High School in 1938.

Bob earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from St. Norbert College in 1942. While in college he was active in R.O.T.C. and entered the United States Army as a second lieutenant upon his graduation.

He met his wife Elaine (nee Ewalt) of Green Bay while he was attending St. Norbert’s and they were married Jan. 23, 1943 at Camp Maxey in Paris, Texas.

During World War II, Bob served in the United States Army Company A, 9th Infantry Regi-ment, 2nd Infantry Division (Indian Head).

Bob participated in the European Theater and landed on Omaha Beach in Normandy, France on June 7, 1944.

He also fought in Northern France, Rhineland, Battle of the Bulge in the Ardennes of Belgium and Germany.

He was discharged with honors in 1946 as a first lieutenant with five battle stars, a Bronze Star, a Silver Star, the Purple Heart and Oak Leaf Cluster.

2nd Infantry Division

Attached to the 1st American Army, the 2^nd ID landed in Normandy on June 7, 1944 in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer on the beach of Omaha and immediately began the fighting. 

Commanded by General Robertson, the division freed the village of Trévières on 10 June 1944 and then the forest of Cerisy before seizing and defending the 192, commanding the road to Saint-Lô. It crosses the Vire and then penetrates Brittany in August 1944 when it is the seat of Brest.

On December 11, 1944, the 2nd Indianhead was ordered to seize the barriers on the Roer as part of the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest. Following the German counter-offensive in the Ardennes, the division was forced to withdraw to Elsenborn before resuming the offensive from February 1945 onwards. It seized Gemünden on 4 March 1945, reached the Rhine on 9 March and then Breisig on 10 March before assuring custody of the Remagen bridge from 12 to 20 March 1945.

After crossing the Rhine on 21 March, the division seized many German cities such as Göttingen on 8 April, Merseburg on 15 April and Leipzig on 18 April. It reached the Czech frontier on 4 May 1945: on 8 May, the date of the Allied victory in Europe, it was the seat of Pilsen.

The 2nd Infantry Division then returns to the United States and resumes training in Texas from July 22, 1945 until its projection in Japan. But the Japanese signed the armistice before the division was deployed. 3,031 soldiers of the division were killed in action during the Second World War, 457 died as a result of their injuries and 12,785 were wounded.

During World War II, six Soldiers of the 2d Infantry Division were awarded the Medal of Honor.