Robert Krob papers

Robert William Krob and his identical twin brother, Norbert, were born on February 19, 1919, in Ely, Iowa. Robert graduated from Ely High School and then went to work in the family business, operating grain elevators in Iowa. He married Verona Chalupnik on June 10, 1941. After being drafted into the United States Army on October 24, 1942, he was selected to attend the Infantry Officers Candidate School (OCS). Upon graduation from OCS, he was sent to England to the officers’ replacement pool to await the invasion of Europe. He served with Patton’s Third Army. Ten days after D-Day he was sent to the 359th Infantry of the 90th Division that had suffered serious losses during D-Day. On July 3, he was shot at close range in the chest and was evacuated to England to spend several months in hospitals there. In October he was released for active duty and rejoined the 90th Division where he fought until the end of World War II. During one bloody battle in Germany, his infantry outfit suffered severe casualties, but Robert survived. He reorganized the remnants of three rifle platoons and led them on another attack. They succeeded in taking over the small village that had been the objective of the mission. He was awarded a Silver Star for this action. After the war, Robert rejoined the family business and helped operate it until his death on September 29, 1990. He and his wife resided in Ely, Iowa, and had two daughters, Mary Jeanne Krob and Judy Krob Taylor. The papers consist of one letter and 11 photographs. The letter was written on September 4, 1945, by Robert Krob in Amberg, Germany, to his wife, Verona, in Iowa. In the letter he describes the experiences of a soldier from the 11th Armored Division of the United States Army who was in Mauthausen after the camp's liberation and his own opinions and impressions of the German regime. He enclosed with the letter 11 photographs that he printed from the negatives that were taken by the soldier who was at Mauthausen.