Peering on the Past – Life Saved by a Searching Knife, a Ray of Sunshine and Booze

Around dwelling in Houston County, he was identified for his humorous watercolor cartoons. In Europe, his pictures helped the United States Army defeat Nazi Germany. George J. Stuber (1922-2020), after graduating from Aquinas High School in La Crosse, realized his craft whereas employed by Century Photo. Initially a janitor, he had turn out to be a supervisor by the point World War II took him to Europe.

After becoming a member of the Army in 1943, and primary coaching at Fort McCoy, Wis., and Fort Riley, Kans., Stuber turned a workers photographer on the Cavalry School at Fort Riley. Following a stint on the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP) on the University of Nebraska, he was transferred to the twentieth Armored Division, serving because the Division Photographer.

“During maneuvers, I developed a portable darkroom to process photos in the field,” he wrote. “Thanks to Eastman Kodak, I got materials to take photos using Infra Red (infrared) film and lights for night photographs. No one could see the flash from Infra Red bulbs.”

His division was transferred abroad in December 1944. There Stuber constructed a “truly remarkable” darkroom in a trailer with a conveyable generator, giant sufficient for each creating and enlarging pictures. The Armored Engineers pulled his trailer behind an armored personnel automobile, often called a half-track.

He was assigned to take and develop pictures for Counter Intelligence, even taking aerial pictures for the Field Artillery. With his transportable darkroom, Stuber may course of and have prepared two units of 4 aerial images simply half-hour after touchdown.

The twentieth Armored Division landed in La Havre, France, moved into Belgium after which south into France. They crossed the Danube River, captured Munich and liberated the focus camp at Dachau. The division was engaged within the Battle of the Rhine by way of the southern a part of Germany, ending up in Salzburg, Austria, when Germany surrendered. 

Stuber’s pictures consisted of recording coaching in Europe, photos of German defenses, V-2 German cell launch programs, river crossings, prisoners of battle, battlefields, focus camps and flying in L-5 remark planes. 

While American troops had been shifting by way of the Siegfried Line, a German defensive fortification system alongside the western border of Germany, Stuber mentioned, “one captain requested me to stroll over a discipline close to an emplacement to {photograph} two useless German troopers. When I took their photos, I observed what regarded like many bullet holes of their uniforms. I noticed that they had landed into considered one of their very own minefields. 

“Standing still, I looked around and saw a sign for “German Mine Field.” Within six ft of me, I may see the three prongs of an S-mine. Carefully taking my looking knife that my mom had despatched me, I prodded the bottom forward of me utilizing my Engineers Mine approach to get again to the highway. It took me 5 minutes to stroll out to get these photos, one hour to get again.”

Going by way of Frankfurt, Germany, one of many Allied Brockway Truck drivers backed right into a distillery, knocking out a brick wall with the crane and disconnecting a 5,000-gallon tank of brandy. He loaded the tank onto the truck and introduced it out to the American camp within the woods. One officer mistakenly thought it was wine whereas a lot of the troopers loved the sudden refreshment.

Stuber had to assist his inebriated tentmate again into the entrance of their tent, however his buddy managed to sneak out the bottom. While Stuber was bringing him again once more, Bedcheck Charlie (an enemy night-time plane) destroyed their tent and foxhole. “So, there must be some good in drinking,” concluded Stuber.

“For weeks after, whenever I went to get water for my darkroom, I had to smell the Jerry cans (5.3-gallon steel containers) to make sure it was water and not booze.”

During the Battle of Munich, Stuber acknowledged associates from Fort Riley when the cavalry drove into Munich and had been welcomed by the residents. But there was a special greeting when the twentieth Tank Battalion crossed a prairie in the direction of the West Point or army instructional establishment for the German SS paramilitary troops. Stuber described it as giant buildings with a brick wall about 6-8 ft tall.

“The Germans blew holes in the wall and using their famous 88’s, shot and disabled quite a few of our tanks. They also had trenches and tunnels to protect their positions,” continued Stuber. “We did win, but it was scary to the troops. Some tanks were hit at such close range that the shells went in and out before exploding.”

The subsequent day, Stuber’s job was to take photos all through the realm. “Going into an open tunnel between trenches, I crept inside to get a better photo. As I did, the sun came out and sunlight shone through an opening. I noticed a silver glint. It was a trip wire booby trap. If I had backed into it to get a better shot, I wouldn’t be writing this.”

After Germany’s give up (V-E Day, May 8, 1945), Stuber was busy with division photograph tasks, together with photos of USO celebrities, Hitler’s hideout and well-known castles. His division returned to California and was scheduled to go to Japan the place the battle raged on. Stuber was dwelling on furlough when phrase got here the battle within the Pacific was over as effectively (V-J Day, September 2, 1945).

On the G. I. Bill, he attended artwork college in Chicago and finally began his personal enterprise, Advertising Art Service. In 1960, Stuber and his father-in-law purchased a 100-acre tree farm south of Brownsville, the place he liked to color, particularly remembered for his humorous scarecrow prints. His dying in 2020 took place two months earlier than his 99th birthday. 

Sources: “George J. Stuber’s Time in Service and Some of His Interesting Episodes in World War II,” by George J. Stuber of Brownsville, Houston County Veterans Memorial, 2000; obituary of George J. Stuber, 2020