Jerry of the 101st AVN retirees wants to arrange for the Patriot Guard
Riders as escort for the memorial. Robert would have appreciated this.
He respected and applauded the Patriot Guard Riders and all they did.
We know that his memorial service will be at 1:00 pm (13:00) on April
9 at the Main Post chapel with Chaplain Lorenzen officiating. His ashes
will be interned at 2:00 pm (14:00) at the Sandhills State Veterans
Cemetery. Flowers and other memorials may be delivered to the cemetery
between 1:30 and 2:00 pm of that day. The address is 400 Murchinsen Rd,
Spring Lake, NC 28390. They must stand at attention and salute when
appropriate (sorry but this is so regimented that I'm finding it all
funny.) People may remember Rob as SPC or SGT Robert G. Shirk. He was
a Blackhawk guy all the way although he loved anything to do with
flight. He called army aviation "the world's greatest roller coaster
ride, and I get paid too." Rob was known for his puckish sense of
humor, although he became much more serious after the Gulf War. He said
that he saw more than enough misery to go around.



Rob served with:

4/101st AVN Battalion (or was it Brigade?) Ft Campbell, KY 1984-5

4/7 CAV at Camp Stanley, Korea 1985-6

4/101st AVN Battalion (or was it Brigade?) 1986-1990

326 Medical Company Landsthul, Germany 1990-1992

He was in Desert Shield/Storm, November 1990-April 1991

4/3 Armored CAV Ft Bliss, TX 1992-1995

US Army Recruiting Station, Sacramento CA 1995-1996

1-52nd AVN (White Horse) Seoul Army Air Base, Seoul S. Korea 1996-1997

2nd Support Center, Ft Bragg, NC1997-1999

1-52nd AVN (White Horse) Seoul Army Air Base, Seoul S. Korea1999-2000

57th Medical Co, Ft Bragg, NC 2001-2003



Rob was medically retired in 2003 with Brain cancer attributed to
exposure to Sarin and Cyclo-Sarin gases during Desert Storm. During
that same rescue mission Robert was also exposed to the smoke from oil
well fires started on orders from Saddam Hussein and his minions. Don't
tell me that Sadist Hussein had no weapons of self destruction.



Rob had the funniest personality of anyone I ever met and could tell a
great story. He loved to relax, read, talk, play various games (I still
remember Skip-Bo across America), beat me at cribbage, play RPGs (role
playing games), be dragged to museums and other places he declared that
he wouldn't enjoy, and spend time with his family and friends. Animals
loved him and he loved them in return. He liked hanging out with his
kitty buddies and loving on them.


We don't have a restaurant yet for an after cemetery get together, but
we hope to meet at Chili's as it was one of his favorite places. I'll
let you know if/when we get one. I seriously think it is against the
law for us to do anything without something seriously strange and/or
funny happening.

I miss him so much.

Pam Shirk