Arthur Robert Leslie
As told by his sister Doris Leslie
Bobby as most everyone called him was the son of Arthur Robert and Amy Sinclair Leslie. He was born in Millville, NJ on 30 December 1915. He was extraordinarily compassionate and would bring home stray animals for his mother to care for. He was always alert to help someone in need. When he was in high school, he worked at a food market. A regular elderly customer who lived more than a mile from the store would do his shopping. Bobby always walked him home carrying his parcels. His good deed would always make him late for dinner, but his attention to helping people was just part of being a member of his Leslie family.
In his early adulthood, Bobby worked in the cotton bleachery with his father and during the depression, he was part of the Civilian Conservation Corps and worked on building Parvin State Park located near Vineland, NJ. When the war broke out, Bobby was drafted and was sent to Fort Bragg in North Carolina for training. He was assigned to the 29th Infantry Division, 116 INF 1st Battalion, Company B. When his sister Doris told her husband Bill Dove, a career army soldier, heard about Bobby’s induction into the army, Doris said Bill wept with sadness. Bill said if there was anyone too kind-hearted and selfless to go into the army, it was Bobby.
As many young men during the war, Bobby found himself preparing to invade France on D-Day. He landed on Omaha Beach several days after D-Day. The daily report indicated his arrival as a replacement on 14 July 1944 and was reported as KIA on 17 July 1944 near St. Lo.
Bobby left behind a wife and a son who he never had the chance to meet. His son was named after him and he became the Arthur Robert Leslie III of the family. Bobby as we called him grew up never knowing the full Leslie story. Of his long history and heritage going back to Scotland until later in life. He attended the Leslie Gathering at Loch Norman Highland Games in 2011 and met many Leslies who welcomed him as one of their own. Bobby told his Aunt Doris that it was one of his greatest experiences.
Submitted by Lewis R Johnson, son of Doris Eleanor Leslie Johnson