Military veteran and Vinemont man Robert Doty, lovably known as Mr. Bob in his neighborhood, shared his knowledge and experience from his 95 years life.
“My name is Robert Doty, but everyone calls me Bob,” Doty said. “I turned 95 on Sept. 6. I live in South Vinemont with my daughter and son-in-law. I have lived a full life.”
Doty shared that he ran away from home at 16-years-old and joined the Army Air Corps (before it became the Air Force) in 1946 after the end of World War II.
“I was almost in a year until my mother found out where I was and contacted my commanding officer,” Doty said. “Because I was under age, I was given an honorable discharge. In 1952, about a year after getting married, I was drafted into the Army and was sent overseas to Korea where I served in the 40th Infantry Division. I was stationed in the area called the Punch Bowl between White Horse Ridge and Heartbreak Ridge. I got too close to an incoming mortar shell in 1953 and was sent to Tokyo, Japan to the 80/59th Army Hospital. I served the remainder of my time working for Commander Samuel Trask from 1953 to 1955. During this time, I served as Military Police and escorted Marilyn Monroe to the stage for a USO tour.”
Even having so much life under his belt at such a young age, Doty said his best memory is the day he met his wife.
“I was standing in line at the movie theater in Joplin, Missouri,” Doty said. “I met a young lady that asked me to sit with her. Being single and unattached, I agreed. We took our seats and while we waited for the movie to start, the most beautiful girl I ever saw said, ‘Excuse me, sir, can I get to that seat?’ She was pointing to the seat next to the young lady I met in line. I was so taken by her beauty and her sweet voice. When the movie was over, the young lady I met in line asked me if I wanted to walk her home. I told her, ‘No, I’m walking Red here home’ motioning to the young lady that stole my heart. I asked her to marry me that night. She said, ‘No, we just met.’ But she did ask her mother if she could date me. I asked her to marry me many, many times over that first year of dating her. I followed her when her family moved from Missouri to Iowa for her father’s work. And after about a year and a move, she said ‘Yes.’ We spent 62 wonderful years together.”
I asked Mr. Bob, “If you could give one piece of advice to your 30-year old self, what would it be?”
“Take time each day to pray and read your Bible,” Doty said. “I have read my Bible through at least 14 times since picking it back up again in 2011 when my wife passed away. It helped me get through tremendous grief. I only wish I’d started sooner.”
Mr. Bob’s day-to-day routine sounds like that of a dream: Easy like Sunday morning.
“I wake up early, anywhere from 5-6:30 a.m.,” Doty said. “I get my coffee, read my Bible and take my first walk of the day, if the weather allows. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I exercise with weights. Most days, if the weather is nice, I take at least two walks a day. I mow our 2 acres and weed-eat. On Wednesdays I like to go to karaoke to see Danny (Frasier) and dance with my daughter and the other nice ladies that go there (Grumpy’s Down Under).”
His daughter Suzy Doty-Voigt shared and reiterated a few facts about her father.
“When he was in Korea, he was Military Police and escorted Marilyn Monroe to the stage for a USO tour,” Voigt said. He spent the majority of his life as an auto mechanic. He was with his last boss for 45 years. They worked on classic cars manufactured from 1932 to1980. He worked on the car Jay Leno drove onto set on his first night as the host of ‘The Tonight Show.’ He retired at 86-years-old. He is also hugely loved in our neighborhood. Everyone calls him Mr. Bob and one of the neighbors, who’s become a good friend, made him a bench that says ‘Mr. Bob’s Bench’ with an American flag on it and a flag in the fence by it so if he gets tired while walking, he had a place to rest.”
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