Sink Exhibit Dedicated Saturday

Sink painting by Joe Collins

A special exhibit dedication was held Saturday at the Currahee Military Museum.

The dedication was part of this year’s Currahee Military Weekend and was in honor of Col. Robert Sink, Commander of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment started in Toccoa in July of 1942.

Stephens County Historical Society Executive Director Brenda Carlan led the dedication and told the group gathered how Camp Toccoa came to be. “ When he got here to Toccoa the camp was name Camp Robert Toombs. The soldiers had to get off of the train here and walk up what was the Highway 13, walk through a cemetery by Toccoa Casket Company to a place called Camp Toombs. Col. Sink did not think that would be great for morale.”

Sink died on December 13, 1965. Since then Sink has been posthumously honored in an number of ways:

The Robert F. Sink Memorial Library was dedicated at Fort Campbell, Kentucky in 1967. At that dedication, General Louis Truman said quote “May it serve to commemorate the legend he left, rather than the memory of his passing.”

HBO Released Band of Brothers in 2001 and Sink was portrayed by actor Dale Dye.

The unveiling of the 506th PIR Plaque by Margaret Sink Swenson at the Littlecote House in England.

The Col. Robert F Sink Memorial Trail was dedicated in Toccoa in 2004.

The 506th Association inducted Sink as a Distinguished Member of the Regiment at Fort Campbell in 2009.

And the Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary Dedication of the Sink Library and presentation of the Sink Desk to the library last year.

Al Manpre served under Sink in the 506th at Camp Toccoa and told Saturday’s audience Sink was a leader. “He was a determined individual who wanted his regiment to be the best in the whole army. We were an experimental group and to train Paratroopers from day one-I think he succeeded.”

The Sink Exhibit is located inside the Currahee Museum directly across from the Stable the 506th resided in England.