The Fort Snelling Bulletin

Major Flory's Son Speaks At Orientation Meeting

Tells How U.S. Bombers Cut Off Rommel's Supply Of Gasoline

How Rommel's army was defeated in North Africa when his mechanized troops ran out of gas because American bombers were sinking his tankers in the Mediterranean, was told to officers of the Post last Thursday night at the weekly Orientation Meeting, by Capt Robert L. Flory of the Air Corps.

Capt Flory who is home on leave is the son of the Post's Judge Advocate, Major Robert D. Flory.

As an intelligence officer of the Western Desert Air Force, Capt Flory brought news little publicized of the early days of the Middle East fighting to the group which met at the Officer Club.

He outlined the strategy used in the fighting from August 1942 up to the invasion of Sicily on 10 July, 1943.

Capt Flory told of the high point of Rommel's advances up to 3 Sept. '42, when under the threat of German troops the heavy bombers were being moved back and preparations were being made for complete evacuation of the bases near the Suez Canal.

Capt Robert L. Flory & Major Robert D. Flory

Capt Flory was sent from the Middle East to England in the winter of '43 and has been on duty there up to his return home, arriving in this country on 26 Sept.

He is a graduate of the University of Nebraska Law School and was called to duty on his ROTC status as a second lieutenant the day following graduation. After reporting to his first post, Capt Flory was in this country just three weeks before leaving for overseas.

He will be married to Miss Joanne Beltzer of Grand Island, Nebraska, on 21 Oct. They have been engaged since 1942 and met while they were both attending the University of Nebraska. Capt Flory will report to the Miami Beach redistribution center for the Air Corps at the end of the present leave.