Honoring the life of Robert Kral: Botanist, educator, writer and Korean War Veteran

“I came across one of our Jeeps … with the key in the ignition and a grease gun on the front seat. No sign of life. [I] could not get the Jeep started. Had I, I probably would not be writing this,” wrote Dr. Robert Kral, who served in the 461st Infantry Battalion (Heavy Mortar) in the Korean War and was also a Prisoner of War.  

Kral was born on Feb. 28, 1926, in Highland Park Illinois. He enlisted in the Marine Corps at the age of 17 in 1943 and trained as an aviation radioman. He transitioned to the Army Reserve from the Marine Corps after joining Reserves Officers’ Training Corps while studying forestry at North Carolina State University. After graduation, he was called to serve in the Korean War.  

In June 1953, Kral’s position in C Company, 461 Infantry Battalion, ., was sent to support the 5th Republic of Korea Division, a South Korean allied unit. After a hectic night of moving bases, the setting sun brought on a night that would change Kral’s life forever. The enemy were about to break the main line of resistance, or the front.  

“… my volunteer radioman and I were just having some rations, along with some of the Koreans in a forward bunker when a well-placed 76 [mm] round hit the bunker just at the groundline where the sandbag met it. [The round] entered the bunker and exploded. My back was to that, I guess, because it threw me forward and blew out the back of my jacket … felt pretty much like being hit with a big baseball bat … I was lucky, having some scratches on [my] legs and the bottom of one foot,” Kral wrote. 

While helping the wounded, the camp was overrun, and the enemy secured positions across the base. Even though he was injured, Kral stayed on-site to assist others. After dodging a grenade attack and searching for a means of communication, Kral tried desperately to avoid capture. Under the fighting twilight, he moved to a near valley undetected. Kral walked for hours aiding and assisting injured soldiers whenever he found them.  

“[I] Had no idea that they had penetrated so far, but realized it was bad [while walking] along the valley road back [where] dumps of ammo, various equipment, [and finding] nobody alive … it was a ghost walk,” Kral described. “I tried to patch up a couple [soldiers] and explain to them help would come. [I] cannot forget how some grabbed at my legs, knowing probably that this would not happen.”  

While searching for any troops and a mode of transportation, an enemy patrol car found Kral, and he was shot and captured. Through interrogation and constant movement, Kral’s tibia wound became more severe and suffered an infection. He was treated by medics, where he declined an amputation, and spent much time with the wounded. Kral later came to appreciate fly larvae as he attested it kept his wound clean and saved his life.  

After his initial interrogation, Kral was sent north to the Suan Mining Camp.   

“The truck convoy went on north, went through Wonsan at night, and all I can remember was the complete devastation. Only smokestacks of factories and buildings standing, much like the remains of an old forest after a big fire,” Kral wrote.  

Kral spent months captured, developing relationships with prisoners from all over. Frequently, the companions were split up or moved.  

“We were a good team, helped each other in all ways, played a lot of cards, did the best we could. I saw some real kindness … We voted on strategies and gave the Chinese minimal use of us,” Kral wrote. 

After months of imprisonment, Kral was released on Aug. 23, 1953.  

“I learned a lot about myself, and importantly about being with men who cared for each other during a difficult time,” Kral wrote.  

As he returned to civilian life, Kral's dedication to education, the environment, and his fellow man remained unwavering. He decided to further his education past his degree in forestry. Kral followed his childhood memories of collecting plants and enjoying his mother’s wildfire garden by earning a doctorate in botany from Florida State University. 

“Oddly, while I got into botany because I was not sure I could do fieldwork in forestry, I have probably done more fieldwork in the new profession than I ever would have as a forester. I like teaching and feel a real obligation to young people in this day and age,” Kral wrote.  

Kral’s legacy as a professor, botanist, and conservationist is marked by countless contributions and achievements. He was a professor emeritus of biology at Vanderbilt University, contributed more than 100 papers and two books to botanical literature, and was active in conservation efforts in Middle Tennessee, including Duck River.  

Kral has lived his life to the fullest. His love for nature was apparent through his many adventures in South America on plant-collecting missions and his experience kayaking on the Mississippi River that ended with a hurricane on a New Orleans sandbar. 

In addition to nature, Kral has a talent for art and the written word, including poetry. While in high school, his first award-winning botanical article focused on the demise of wildflowers.  

“For many miles radiating from Chicago new homes, new stores, even small towns are springing up like mushrooms. The sandpiper’s faint, wind-borne song was once heard where busy streets now hum with traffic, and blackbirds swayed on wind-tossed cattail stalks where concrete sidewalks run past a maze of streetlights and crowded homes…” Kral wrote.  

In January 2025, VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System Executive Leadership Team met Kral and learned more about his history, life, and exemplary service during his stay at the Nashville VA Medical Center before his passing. 

Over his life, Kral served in the Marine Corps, Army Reserve, and the Korean War. He took his lessons as a Marine and soldier to embrace life, educate generations of students, and curate a treasure trove of plants for countless generations to experience. 

Dr. Robert Kral's service, sacrifice, and commitment to education will forever be remembered and cherished. Thank you, Kral, for your service and profound impact.