By Deborah Larsen
Wilbur Henry Stadler
Wilbur Henry Stadler was born in Macomb County, Michigan, on June 27, 1917, the son of Charles and Tillie Behnke Stadler. He attended Rochester High School and graduated in the class of 1936. Before the war, Wilbur was employed at Case’s Hardware in downtown Rochester.
In January 1942, Wilbur enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps and was assigned to the 324th Fighter Group, where he was part of a P-40 fighter ground crew. The 324th helped to fly cover for the British Army’s pursuit of German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel in North Africa. Later, Wilbur’s unit converted to the P-47 “Thunderbolt” and participated in the Allied push through France and Germany. Wilbur was discharged from military service in August 1945.
After the war, Wilbur and his family lived in Royal Oak, Michigan, and he continued his employment in a retail hardware store.
Wilbur Henry Stadler died at age 52 on April 24, 1970, and was laid to rest in Utica Cemetery.