Robert H. Lathrop was born in the District of Columbia in 1925 and attended Rye Country Day School. His father Joseph was born in New York and was vice-president of a business research company. His mother Cathereine was born in Maryland and his sister name was Joanne. The family of four all lived at 66 Milton Blind Brook Apartments Road.
Robert enlisted in the US Army on October 10, 1943 and became a Private First Class - 87th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division. He was 17 years old.
The division, was commanded by Major General George Price Hays and sailed for Italy. The 85th and 87th Infantry left Hampton Roads, Virginia on 4 January 1945 aboard the SS West Point and arrived on 13 January 1945. By 6 January, its support units were preparing to head to the front lines.  It was attached to Major General Willis D. Crittenberger's IV Corps, part of the American Fifth Army, under Lieutenant General Lucian Truscott.
By 20 January, all three of the 10th's regiments were on or near the front line between the Serchio Valley and Mt. Belvedere. Col. Raymond C. Barlow commanded the 85th Regiment, Col. Clarence M. Tomlinson the 86th, and Col. David M. Fowler the 87th.
 On April 14, 1945, the final phase of the war in Italy began. With the 85th and 87th leading, the 10th Mountain Division attacked toward the Po Valley spearheading the Fifth Army drive., attacking Torre Iussi and Rocca Roffeno to the north of Mount Della Spe. The fighting was fierce with the loss of 553 mountain infantryman killed, wounded, or missing in the first day.
On 17 April, it broke through the German defenses, which allowed it to advance into the Po Valley area. Early on April 20th, the seventh day of the attack, the first units of the 85th Infantry Regiment broke out into Po Valley. Five days of attack had cost 1,283 casualties. With the Germans mountain line broken, the next objective was to cross the Po River. On the morning of April 23rd, the 10th was the first division to reach the Po Ri ver. The first battalion of the 87th Mountain Infantry, the original mountain infantry unit, made the crossing under fire in 50 light canvas assault boats.
Robert H. Lathrop died on April 17, 1945 during the Po Valley spring offensive. Reported in the HISTORY of the 87th MOUNTAIN INFANTRY pg.91 as follows:
"The two machine gun squad leaders, Sgt. FRANCIS J. BLAIS and Sgt. HENRY C. CHASE, had their machine guns right behind the scout. From there they engaged targets of opportunity and built up tremendous bases of fire as the squads flanked forward. At times they had to be held back lest they pass the scouts. Sgt. BLAIS was alone with his machine gun at the end of the action. Pfc. ROBERT H. LATHROP was killed while bringing up ammunition for BLAIS’ gun, and BLAIS started to get a litter for LATHROP as he died. More than 25 of the enemy were killed and 150 prisoners were taken."
 Robert H. Lathrop was awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart.
General Orders: Headquarters, 10th Mountain Division, General Orders No. 83 1945 "for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while serving with the 10th Mountain Division."
Robert is buried at the Florence American Cemetery and Memorial, Florence, Città Metropolitana di Firenze, Toscana, Italy
Plot H Row 2 Grave 7
COMMENDATIONS
★ World War II Victory Medal★ Silver Star★ Purple Heart★ Combat Infantryman Badge★ Marksmanship Badge★ American Campaign Medal
★ Army Presidential Unit Citation ★ Army Good Conduct Medal★ European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign
Rye Men in Mountain Division Making War History in Italy
A number of Rye men are in the U. S. 10th Mountain Division ski troops which has been making war history in Italy this past week. The Division repulsed a strong German counterattack in the Bologna area. Some of the Rye men who have been trained with this outfit, are believed to be in this latest sortie. They include Captain Lawrence Rainsford in the Medical unit, son of Dr. and Mns. Lawrenee Rainsford, Blind Brook Lodge; Major John Gundy, Division Medical Inspector, whose wife lives on Greenleaf Street; Pfc. Gordon Ryan, son of Mr. and Mrs. Gerard Ryan, Ridgewood Drive; Pfc. John A. Tony Dyer, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Dyer, Midland Avenue; T-4 Robert Langeloh, son of Mr. and Mm. Edward J. Langeloh, Winthrop Street; Pfc. Robert Lathrop. son of Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Lathrop, Blind Brook Lodge; Pfc. David Close, son of Mrs. Stuart Close and the late Mr. Close, formerly of Rye; Major Louis Thorne, psychiatri-st in the Medical unit, son of Samuel Thorne. Post Road; Pfc. Robert Ritz, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Ritz, Apawamis Avenue.
These men have undergone a rigorous, specialized training program before going overseas. The curriculum of the mountain infantry is to dig into a snow bank and wait; take long marches through a cutting wind at a temperature well below zero; eat, sleep, work and live in the bitterness of the cold and wet. They have to be mule packers, rock climbers and mountaineers in general, because the caissons dont go rolling along in the mountains. All the way, along broken trails cr through soft, knee-deep snow, artillery equipment has to be handlugged or mule-packed. The snow training is not restricted to the infantry and artillery, but is equally a vital part of the training of the Medics, the Signal Corps and the Engineers. A release from the Army was broadcast over Station WABC on Sunday morning revealing the activities of the Division, which had been cloaked in secrecy until that time. It stated, This morning the American troops that have been operating on Mount Belvedere have been publicly named the 10th Mountain Division. This is the unit of soldiers for mountain fighting that trained for so long at Camp Hale in the Rocky Mountains near Denver. The first element went into the line in the Appennine Mountains on January 9 and all the Division was committed before the end of the month. For several weeks, they showed their stuff in long range patrolling deep into the enemy lines, some of them getting a chance to use their -skiis, but if the public has visions of thousands of white-clad figures racing downhill with tommy guns rattling, they will be disillusioned. Most of the snow has gone and the most characteristic performance by these boys is taking loads that would break lesser mens backs, going up steep trails where even the mules refuse to go. The 10th Mountain Division got the once over from their veteran neighbors the Brazilian troops who have been here for a long time. The verdict was that it showed the snappiest saluting imaginable straight out of the book but the 10th looked like a real fighting outfit, just the same, and now they have proved it. The commander is Major General G. P. Hayes, who won the medal of honor in the last war and fought at Normandy in this war.
PAGE EIGHT THE RYE CHRONICLE Friday, March 2, 1945
Pfc. Robt. Lathrop Killed In Action
Pfc. Robert II. Lathrop, son of Mr. and Mrs J B Lathrop. of 66 Milton Road, Rye. and New Hope, La. , previously reported missing in action. , was today reported killed in action in Italy on April 17. Pfc. Lathrop, nineteen years old, Attended Rye Country Day School and Solebury School. He enlisted in the mountain troops in September 1943 and went overseas in January of this year with the 10th Mountain Division. He leaves a sister, Joanne Lathrop. He was a grandson of Mrs. C. R. Williams of Philadelphia, now living at Blind Brook Lodge. His grandfather was the artist, the late William L. Lathrop, N. A.
RYE, NEW YORK FRIDAY, MAY 25, 1945
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