Detroit Hero Remembered: The Mission to Honor Sgt. Robert Silverston and Michigan’s WWII Legacy
On the morning of February 10, 1945, Sgt. Robert Lawrence Silverston, a 24-year-old radio operator and gunner from Detroit, Michigan, was flying in a B-26 Marauder over Germany when his…
On the morning of February 10, 1945, Sgt. Robert Lawrence Silverston, a 24-year-old radio operator and gunner from Detroit, Michigan, was flying in a B-26 Marauder over Germany when his plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire. The aircraft spiraled into the clouds. No parachutes were seen. Silverston and the entire crew perished. Today, he rests in the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, where his grave is lovingly cared for by Dutch citizens. But his family in Michigan may have no idea.
In a powerful conversation with author and historian Robert Edsel, we explored this story and the broader mission behind his new book Remember Us — and the enduring ties between Michigan families and the heroes buried overseas.
"He's been on my mind for the better part of a day," Edsel said. "Silverston is one of only 483 sons of Michigan buried at that cemetery. That's five percent of the graves there."
Detroit and World War 2
Detroit has long been a symbol of America's middle class and its willingness to serve, Edsel noted. "There's a sense of generational duty here. You see it in families with World War II vets, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf... they all stepped up. I'm counting on that sense of loyalty now."
Why? Because even though every grave at Margraten is adopted by a Dutch citizen, fewer than 20% of American families have ever been contacted. Due to post-war privacy laws, the U.S. military refused to release names and addresses of soldiers' next of kin. This left thousands of Dutch adopters unable to reach the very families whose loved ones they honor.
To bridge this gap, Edsel's Monuments Men and Women Foundation partnered with the Dutch Grave Adoption Foundation to launch the Forever Promise initiative (www.foreverpromise.org). The goal? Help American families connect with the people who have been tending to their loved ones' graves for decades.
"Many of these Dutch families have photographs, unsent letters, even memories of the soldiers who stayed in their barns before heading to the front," Edsel explained. "They are literally dying to share these with American families. But they don’t know how to find them."
For Edsel, this mission is deeply personal. He shared the story of Jeff Wiggins, a Black American soldier from Alabama who joined the Army at just 16. Wiggins survived the Klan as a child and enlisted to prove his worth as an American. He ended up digging graves in Europe, burying his fellow soldiers in bed sacks, often without coffins, in one of the war's most overlooked and gruesome tasks.
"It's heartbreaking, but it's also inspiring," Edsel said. "The Dutch asked themselves: How do you thank someone who's no longer alive to receive it? The answer was the grave adoption program."
The Grave Adoption Program?
Edsel first visited the cemetery in the late '90s, but it wasn't until 2015 that he fully understood the depth of this tradition. A Dutch woman named Frida asked if he knew about the adoption program. Embarrassed, he admitted he didn't.
"The Dutch have done this for 80 years. They think it's normal. But most Americans have no idea it exists. There's even a waiting list of over a thousand people who want to adopt a grave. The turnover is only 30 a year."
Edsel will be in Detroit June 1 and 2, speaking at the Detroit Athletic Club, and continuing his mission to spread awareness.
As he said, "Freedom isn't free. It's costly, it's painful, and it's not a video game. These stories matter. We owe it to those who gave everything."
Here in Detroit, we honor veterans every Friday with our feature, I Thank You Fridays. Sgt. Robert Silverston is a name we now add to that sacred list. Enlisting in 1942, he gave his life in 1945. He never got to live the life he deserved, but we did — because of men like him.
If you are a member of the Silverston family, or know someone who might be, please visit www.foreverpromise.org and help reconnect Robert's memory with those who still carry it in their hearts.
Here's more about Robert:
orn on June 9, 1919, in Detroit, Michigan, Robert Lawrence Silverston grew up in a Jewish family here in Detroit. He graduated from Highland Park High School and attended Western Michigan College before enlisting in the U.S. Army Air Forces in March of 1942.
Sgt. Silverston served as a Radio Operator and Gunner in the 574th Bomber Squadron, 391st Bomber Group (Medium), flying aboard a B-26C Marauder (Serial #42-107720).
On February 10, 1945, during a bombing mission to Bergisch Gladbach, Germany, his aircraft was hit by enemy flak near Boppard. According to a statement from 2nd Lt. James McNamara, who was flying nearby:
"I saw the right wing of aircraft 107720 receive a direct hit at the engine. The wing and engine were blown off, and the plane flipped over and began to spin earthward. I last saw the plane at about 10,000 feet when it went into a mass of clouds. I observed no chutes coming from the plane."
Sgt. Silverston and the five other crew members were killed in action. He was just 24 years old.
They were initially buried near the crash site in Germany. Today, Sgt. Silverston rests with honor at the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten—Plot H, Row 10, Grave 4—where Dutch families have lovingly cared for his grave for decades.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart for his bravery.
His family included:
- Father: Abe Silverston
- Mother: Rachel Silverston
- Siblings: Anna, Rose, Harold, Jack, Charlie, and Paul Silverston
We are currently trying to locate any living relatives or descendants of the Silverston family to let them know:
Robert’s sacrifice has not been forgotten. His grave is visited, honored, and cared for in the Netherlands—by people who never met him, but never stopped thanking him.
