Before World War II Robert Neal (Bobby) Garrison worked as a jeweler, watch repairman, and engraver at Norman Ingle Jewelry Store in the Rowan County town of Salisbury. Like thousands of other young Americans, Garrison soon found himself in a military uniform and on the way to places he had only heard about. From November 1943 to December 1945 he served in the United States Navy in Africa, France, and Sicily. While overseas he frequently purchased items to send to his wife, Mary White Garrison. Back home, Mrs. Garrison compiled a scrapbook of her husband's military service as a cherished memento to share with him when he returned.
