caption serviceyears branch relations death_date death_place birth_place allegiance unit awards placeofburial_label battles birth_date placeofburial rank image article_title name
robert ii l. strayer as a major during world war 1930 1945 usa mildred suzanne mildred -lrb- daughter -rrb- -lrb- wife -rrb- robert oliver -lrb- son -rrb- 18 december 2002 st. petersburg , florida , u.s. rutledge , pennsylvania , u.s. united states of america 2nd airborne division battalion , 506th parachute infantry regiment , 101st 30px 30px purple heart silver star 30px bronze star -lrb- 4 -rrb- place of burial world war ii 02 march 1910 arlington national cemetery 20px lieutenant colonel robert l strayer 506th pir.jpg robert l. strayer
 robert l. strayer
robert l. strayer

lieutenant colonel robert lytle strayer -lrb- march 2 , 1910 -- december 18 , 2002 -rrb- was a united states army officer during world war ii .
as a major , in 1942 he was given command of the 2nd battalion of the 506th parachute infantry regiment , 101st airborne division .
in 1945 he was made executive officer -lrb- xo -rrb- of the 506th pir , and his position as 2nd battalion co was filled by major richard d. winters .
during his service he earned four bronze stars , one silver star and one purple heart .
strayer married mildred strong of chuckey , tennessee , an army nurse , on january 12 , 1942 .
he retired from the army after the end of world war ii .
strayer and his wife settled down in pennsylvania where strayer found work as an insurance salesman .
in 1978 the couple retired to st. petersburg , florida , where strayer died december 18 , 2002 .
his wife died on july 5 , 2009 .
they are both interred at arlington national cemetery .
strayer was portrayed in the television miniseries `` band of brothers '' by actor phil mckee .
