Robert Peck

Robert "Bob" Peck

Robert "Bob" Peck served in the United States Navy from 1958 to 1967 and saw service aboard ship throughout Southeast Asia and Europe. He recalls, "There was unity on our ship. I can only speak for our ship. We had people of all races and all backgrounds. We only had one guy ever tell me that I couldn't give him an order. And that didn't take too long. It lasted about two days. At the end of the two days, he would say, 'Yes sir, chief'".

For many black soldiers and sailors returning home, racism was still a factor in American life. For Robert Peck, it was being told to move to the back of a Greyhound bus as it crossed the Mississippi state-line, and seeing "black only" water fountains for the first time.

"We got on the Greyhound bus in Corpus Christi, Texas. When we got to the Mississippi line, the driver had to stop the bus, and told me I had to get into the back of the bus. The bus trips through the South were crazy because I never dreamt I would see fountains that would say 'Black'. It wasn't a pretty sight."

Bob Peck currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Vietnam Veterans of America - Cumberland Chapter 172 and is a member of the McKendree United Methodist Church of Potomac Park. In his one foray into acting, thus far, he gave a memorable performance as Reverend Sykes in the Cumberland Theatre's 2003 production of, To Kill A Mockingbird.

Update: John “Perkey” Yates and Robert Peck lead Cumberland Chapter #172 of the Vietnam Veterans of America Honor Guard during the opening ceremonies of the National Day of Prayer on the Downtown Cumberland Mall, May 4, 2017.