Heroes: the Army

 

"...On another Roer footbridge lies the body of an American soldier who was hit by German mortar-shell fragments when he was only 50 feet from east bank..."

 

 

image of american flag

 Stephen F. Tobia

  • Branch of Service: Army
  • Unit: Co. C., 119th Regiment,
    30th Infantry Division
  • Dates: 1942 - 1945
  • Location: European Theater
  • Rank: Cpl.
  • Birth Year: 1920
  • Entered Service: New York, NY

 

 

 

IMAGE of WWII medal

IMAGE of WWII medal

 

 

IMAGE of WWII medal

IMAGE of WWII medal

IMAGE of WWII medal

IMAGE of WWII medal

IMAGE of WWII medal

 

 

The photo above was taken by LIFE Photographer, George Silk and was published in LIFE on March 12, 1945 Vol. 18 No. 11., pp. 25-29. The article accompanying this photo (and the remaining photo series) was about the Roer River Crossing which took place in the early morning hours of 23 February 1945. This river crossing, which was a major campaign in Europe, received little coverage in the States due to an ongoing battle which was taking place on the other side of the world on the small island of Iwo Jima.

The photo above is unique in that years after the war, the soldier who is approaching the fallen American soldier on the footbridge was identified as: Stephen F. Tobia.

If you wish to view the article and other images you can do so at the following link on this web site.