The life of my grandfather(Robert Yanchus)-Maus project

By 22MixO
  • Robert Yanchus is born

    Robert Yanchus is born

    -Robert Yanchus is born into a family with many siblings, each 20 years older than him.
    -Parents are first generation immigrants from Czechoslovakia.
  • Period: to

    early life/aspirations before the war

    -Grew up with brothers and sisters each at least 20 years older than him
    -Parents are first generation immigrants from Czechoslovakia
    -Wanted to pursue a career with his favorite instrument, the double bass
    -was extremely gifted academically, and was interested in engineering
  • End of high school

    End of high school

    -Graduates from Masontown high school.
    -Knew he was to be drafted for WW2.
    -Didn't want to be.
    -This is a picture of him when he was my age.
  • Applies and joins to ASTP program

    Applies and joins to ASTP program

    -ASTP program for young engineers-army looking for talented young men who shouldn't be drafted for the war.
    -The requirements for this program were very high.
    -There were multiple cognitive assessments you had to pass in order to get in.
    -Robert wanted to get in so he didn't have to be drafted for the war.
    -He gets in and goes Florida University, where the program was being held.
  • ASTP program gets cancelled same year due to heavy casualties and he gets drafted to the war

    ASTP program gets cancelled same year due to heavy casualties and he gets drafted to the war

    -He is doing the ASTP program at University of Florida, after a few weeks he gets drafted.
    -He got to finish 1 semester of this program, and was now to be shipped off to nearly certain death.
  • He goes to Fort Benning for boot camp as an infantry soldier.

    He goes to Fort Benning for boot camp as an infantry soldier.

    -He is now 18, after ASTP program is cancelled he is sent to Fort Benning for basic training as a foot soldier. Ironic because he was trying to avoid this as a whole, he gets put into a position that almost always means certain death.
  • battle of the bulge

    battle of the bulge

    -This is considered to be one of the bloodiest battles in US history.
    -Americans lost around 75,000 while Germans lost around 80,000-100,000.
    -My grandpa tells stories of watching his friends die in a moments notice upon arriving to the battle.
    -He said that the platoon leader was running alongside him and his head simply evaporated as a shell hit him.
    -He was one of three left alive in his platoon.
    -His job as a scout was to hide in foxholes to watch for german movement(a suicide mission).
  • His experience with tragedy in the war

    His experience with tragedy in the war

    -They had two platoons where the leaders were great friends.
    -One was with Robert in K company, while the other was with L company.
    -During the Battle his friend in L company had been wounded, but they were told he had been killed.
    -While taking some Germans back to the POW camp, Robert's lieutenant got his .45 out and started spraying the Germans while shouting, "This is for Lieutenant G." One of the Germans had a concealed P-38 which he pulled out and killed the lieutenant with.
  • gets sent home due to injury

    gets sent home due to injury

    -Gets shrapnel lodged in his back.
    -Sent home on account of a near-fatal injury.
    -Had to get multiple replacement heart valves.
    -While hiding in a foxhole, his friend said he heard a mortar shell coming.
    -His friend was killed immediately while Robert got shrapnel from the shell in his back and was badly injured.
    -This injury would lead to heart issues later in life.
    -He said, "It felt like the Germans always knew where we were, that they had our locations marked down at every turn".
  • Discharged from the war

    Discharged from the war

    -Many men died by suicide or the frigid cold.
    -After his injury due to getting hit by a mortar shell, he was discharged from the war.
    -Discharged from the army and later recieved purple heart.
  • starts college at West Virginia University

    starts college at West Virginia University

    -Right after the war he went to college.
    -First went to West Virginia University because it is closest to his house.
    -He lived around 30 minutes away from WVU.
  • transfers to University of Pittsburgh

    transfers to University of Pittsburgh

    -Once he could go to another school, he decided to transfer to University of Pittsburgh for a better education.
    -Because he was a very smart man, he spent very little time there and went almost straight to medical school.
  • Graduate medical school

    Graduate medical school

    -After spending very little time in college, he went straight to medical school to get a degree.
    -Graduates from University of Pittsburgh.
  • Chooses to specialize in orthopedic surgery.

    Chooses to specialize in orthopedic surgery.

    -Finishes training in orthopedic surgery.
    -He starts residency right after this.
    -He taught everyone in his residency how to ski.
    -He wanted to become an orthopedic surgeon because he felt like he could actually fix things and have something to show for it. He told this to my Aunt 2 years before he died.
  • Meets and Marries Mary Mcarn(my grandma)

    Meets and Marries Mary Mcarn(my grandma)

    -They met at their residency.
    -Said he fell in love immediately.
    -They were married in 1954.

  • Mary dies

    -Once his wife died, he decided to move out to Connecticut and California to be with his daughter and her family.
  • Robert Yanchus dies

    Robert Yanchus dies

    -After an unfortunate battle with dementia, PTSD, and heart issues, he passed in his sleep.