Wyoming Author Has Stories Of A Family Member, Rancher And WWII Vet

Every year, World War Two Veterans are more and more intriguing because fewer and fewer are still with us. Laramie resident, and UW employee, Jessica Robinson has written many books, but never one on someone so close to her. This is about Wyoming veteran and rancher Dale Robinson – Jessica’s own grandfather in law. Thankfully, the author took some time to share with us.

In heavy fighting during one campaign, Dale and his fellow soldiers were saved by Dale’s color-blindness. Their unit prepared to drive forward, but Dale stopped them. “You need to knock out that tank and bazooka first,” Dale told the commanding officer.

The commander couldn’t see the tank, so he commanded the troops onward. Dale insisted the tank was there, so the commander reported to a higher ranking officer and scouts were sent. In the bushes was the tank, which they knocked out.

There’s one good story, right there, but stories didn’t come easy for Dale: “Talking about the war has always been difficult. It was tough. People were dying.” The book, is full of tragedy and heartache, but it is a story worth sharing, one that many Wyoming veterans went through.

Growing up on a ranch in McFadden, Wyoming, Lance Dale Robinson dreamed of one day owning his own ranch until WWII got in the way. He was 16 when Pearl Harbor was bombed, but he couldn’t wait until 18 to enlist. (Actually, just that story was all over America in Dale's young days.)

Dale would land on Normandy Beach six days after D-Day, and later fought in the last major German offensive in the forests of Ardennes. Not one to take to the structure of military life, during the Battle of the Bulge, he was almost court-martialed for “thinking his sergeant’s life was more important than his weapon.” His bravery and heroics, however, earned him a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, and a British Military Medal.

After Dale's service, he went back to ranching, working with the University of Wyoming and Colorado State to improve artificial insemination in cattle. He also traveled and lectured about the results, which helped advance ranching science.

Dale couldn’t forget his war experiences. He just wasn’t able to talk about them before now, saying, “I never thought I’d be able to revisit those days. My friends and family helped me find the words to share what I went through overseas and coming home.”

The author, Dale’s granddaughter-in-law Jessica Robinson, has written two other nonfiction books and a number of novels under the pen name Pembroke Sinclair. She said, “It was an honor and a privilege to be able to tell Dale’s story. WWII had such an impact on the world, and even to this day - 75 years later - we are still fascinated by it. There are so many stories about brave soldiers and what they did, and I’m so happy to help add his to the collection.”

A Rancher and a Warrior: The Life of Dale Robinson in Wyoming and WWII is available in paperback or ebook on Amazon.com.