Local veteran to be honored at Missouri State Fair

Jeannie Barton-Northrup, jnorthrup@dailyjournalonline.com

One local veteran will be honored soon in Sedalia.

A state fair committee chose Doug Robinson of Park Hills as one of 11 veterans to be honored during a daily military flag retreat ceremony at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia. Robinson will be honored at 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 20, the fair’s last day, at the Historic Administration Building.

“I’m humbled by being chosen for this honor. I’m also excited and looking forward to the experience,” said Robinson.

Doug Robinson accepts the Mineral Area Marine Corps League Charter. (Submitted Photo)

A friend and former co-worker nominated Robinson by submitting a narrative to the state fair marketing department.

“I was surprised. I didn’t know anything about it until I got a letter from the state fair board telling me I was selected as an honoree,” he said.

Robinson said his wife, Corinne, assisted the friend with all the information necessary for the submission process. For more information about the state fair, visit their website at www.mostatefair.com.

Robinson spent eight years serving the country in the United States Marine Corps, from 1985 to 1993, before exiting service due to injury and military downsizing.

His first three years of service were spent at Yorktown Naval Weapons Station in Security Forces. Robinson was a machine gunner with Lima Company 3rd Battalion 6th Marines 2nd Marine Division for the next three years. For six months, Robinson was deployed overseas — in Korea and Japan — for combat training purposes.

“It was a culture shock, but I did like it,” Robinson said about his time overseas. “Being deployed is not the same as being on vacation.”

During his time as a machine gunner, Robinson said he received the opportunity to go to school to train other people on how to become a marksman. Robinson was awarded Expert Rifle Marksman seven times during his service and Expert Pistol Marksman twice. The last two years of Robinson’s career were served at Quantico as a marksman instructor. He and other instructors taught between two- and three hundred new lieutenants marksmanship skills.

Besides honors for marksmanship, Robinson received two good conduct medals, two meritorious unit awards, a national defense ribbon, and a sea service deployment ribbon.

Robinson said the military is part of his family legacy; many of his relatives were in the U.S. Air Force, and one of his uncles was a Marine. He recalled a trip to an Air Force base when he was about 10 years old and said he loved the whole experience.

Doug Robinson early in his career. (Submitted Photo)

“My family expected me to join the Air Force, so they were surprised when I chose the Marines,” Robinson said about his decision to join the armed services. “A couple of my friends joined the Marines, and one of my uncles was a Marine. After talking to them and a recruiter, I was impressed.”

Significant life changes happened for Robinson after he left the military. For the past 31 years, he has raised a family with his wife. Together they have three children — a girl bookended by two boys — all involved in the Marine Corps. The oldest two serve in the U.S. Marine Corps, while the youngest is an associate member of the Mineral Area Marine Corps League.

Robinson also earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Central Methodist University and a master’s degree in business administration from Fontbonne University.

“Our area does an outstanding job honoring our veterans, especially with older vets and Vietnam-era vets,” Robinson said.

He encourages people to show veterans respect, especially those who served in Vietnam.

“They served because they were forced to, not because they wanted to,” he said. “And when they came home, they were spit on. When you see someone wearing a Vietnam hat, tell them, ‘Thank you.’”