Robert George Walkowiak, Jr.

Bob passed away at age 71, on February 6, 2018, after a battle with cancer. He was a kind and loving father and grandfather, an avid outdoorsman, and a man who enjoyed studying in fine detail the many subjects that piqued his interest.

Bob served in the Army during the Vietnam War from 1966 to 1968. He was a sergeant in the Third Battalion, Eighth Infantry Regiment, First Brigade, of the Fourth Infantry Division—“the Ivy Dragoons.” He fought on Hill 724 during the Battle of Dak To and was awarded the Bronze Star for heroic service and two Purple Hearts for wounds that he suffered in combat.

After returning from Vietnam, Bob studied at Ferris State College, graduating in 1971. He went to work for the Ford Motor Company as a production engineer. His job was to make more efficient and safe the assembly lines at the Michigan Truck Plant and Wayne Assembly Plant. During his career, Bob invented a patented process for efficiently painting vehicles and reinserting them back onto the line in build-sequence.

Bob’s hobbies included hunting, gardening, and skiing. His travels brought him to South Africa on numerous occasions, and he very much enjoyed sharing his passion for the outdoors with his grandchildren, hunting Whitetail and small game with them in Michigan.

In retirement, Bob found much fulfillment in researching and documenting the activities of his Army unit. Over more than a decade, he scoured the National Archives and traveled around the country to interview his Army brothers. He combined the first-hand accounts and source documents to tell the story of their combat experiences. One product of Bob’s extensive research is the television program, Raw War: The Lost Film of Dak To available at https://www.ahctv.com/tv-shows/raw-war-the-lost-film-of-dak-to/full-episodes/the-lost-film-of-dak-to.

Bob is survived by two children, Jacqi (Dale) Schaller of Hartland, and Rob (Brandi) Walkowiak of South Lyon, and by six grandchildren, Jack, Ben, and Rebecca Schaller and Nathan, Sasha, and Owen Walkowiak.

Visitation will be Saturday, February 17, 2018, from noon to 2 p.m., at the Schrader-Howell Funeral Home, 280 S. Main St., Plymouth, 48170. Interment will be at Arlington National Cemetery on Tuesday, April 10, 2018 at 1:00pm. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Michigan Operation Freedom Outdoors, 3200 East Eisenhower Parkway, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108.