Robert Halperin

Robert Sherman "Bob" Halperin (January 26, 1908 – May 8, 1985), nicknamed "Buck", was an American business executive, decorated WWII naval officer and Star class yacht racer, who became an Olympic bronze medalist and Pan American Games gold medalist in the sport in the 1960s. He is best known professionally as co-founder of Lands' End, and chairman of Chicago's Commercial Light Company, founded by his father. He had formerly been a college and National Football League (NFL) football quarterback for the Brooklyn Dodgers. As a Naval officer and beach reconnaissance scout who observed, maintained, and guided critical beach landings throughout WWII, he became one of Chicago's most-decorated veterans.

Early and personal life Halperin was born in Chicago, Illinois, and was Jewish. His father, Aaron, immigrated to the United States from Kiev in the 1890s, and died in 1964, having founded Commercial Light Co., a Chicago electrical contractor in 1915. His mother, Julia, died in 1976.

Robert and his wife Margaret Stralka raised three sons, Thomas, Patrick and Daniel, who was Robert's biological son.

In college, Halperin began playing football for Notre Dame, as a quarterback under legendary coach Knute Rockne, and then played for the University of Wisconsin, graduating in 1932.

After 1932 college graduation, he played professional football as a quarterback for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the National Football League, under coach Benny Friedman. He later coached football at St. Patrick High School.

Navy career Halperin was one of Chicago`s most decorated sailors in World War II. He trained first under Marine boxer Gene Tunney, and then in a top-secret program in 1942 at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek in Little Creek, Virginia, along with fellow NFL football players Phil Bucklew and John Tripson and seven others who made up the first class of what became known as the Navy Scouts & Raiders, a predecessor of the Navy Seals. The three former NFL players were among 1,000 NFL players who served in the military for the U.S. during World War II. The job of the trainees was to locate designated landing beaches at night for amphibious landings, note any obstacles, and guide the attacking troops and their landing craft.

North Africa

In the invasion of North Africa in November 1942, he sailed his scout ship from seven miles off-shore in complete darkness to French Morocco, located and marked landing beaches with landing signals, guided assault troops to their targets while being strafed by enemy planes, and became the first American in the invasion to capture two of the enemy when he personally captured two officers. In recognition of his efforts, including his extraordinary heroism, skill, courage, and fearless devotion to duty under hazardous conditions, he received a presidential citation and the Navy Cross.

Normandy During the Normandy Invasion of the Cherbourg peninsula, in June 1944 he guided the first two waves of assault troops to the assault beaches, against entrenched strong opposition, and saved two men from drowning. He was granted a Gold Medal in lieu of a second Bronze Medal, for "distinguishing himself by exceptionally meritorious conduct.

Sailing career Halperin, sailed for the Chicago Yacht Club and the Southern Lake Michigan Fleet. Their yacht was the Shrew II.

Honors At the World Championships, the names of the crew whose yacht has the best total score are engraved on the Buck Halperin Trophy, named after him.

Business career Commercial Light With a background in electrical engineering, Halperin became an executive and rose to become Chairman of Commercial Light Company, a large Chicago electrical contractor and engineering business which his father had founded in 1915.

Lands' End He helped start the company Lands' End in the Spring of 1963, with fellow sailor and Pan-American gold medal pardner Richard Stearns, Halperin's close friend Gary Comer, and two of Stearns' employees.

Death Halperin died May 8, 1985, at Eisenhower Hospital, in Palm Springs, California, at the age of 77. His body is at rest at Arlington National Cemetery with that of his wife.