Pfc. Paul O. Kolbe

Biography and Wartime Service

Paul Oscar Kolbe was born on March 24, 1919, in Akron, Ohio, to Alice Lucille Marshall and Max Oscar Kolbe. Paul grew up in Akron, Ohio and as a young man worked at Firestone, then helped to fabricate boilers for war ships until he was drafted in November 1942.

Paul Kolbe served into the 83rd Infantry Division of the US Army, the 329th Buckshots, Company E. After abbreviated but rugged trainings, he sailed from New York City to Liverpool in the HMS Samaria as part of the largest convoy to cross the Atlantic. On July 4, 1944, his company landed on the beaches of Normandy, France where he was severely injured four days later when the American forces were sorely outnumbered by Hitler's Elite Panzers and 70% of his company as lost. Paul returned home after eight months in various hospitals. He received numerous medals for his service, including the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.

Paul Oscar Kolbe married Lois Jean Hitchcock in Summit, Ohio, on March 2, 1945, started building a family and his own home. He enjoyed family get-togethers, growing a large garden, and seeing old high school and neighborhood friends. However, in 1960, while working for Diamond Match Co, he was transferred to Connecticut and the family settled into Norwalk where he and Lois lived until 1984. In 2012, Paul was awarded an honorary Master in Military Arts from Cumberland University, Tennessee related to his combat training. Paul was a lifetime member of the DAV and a member of VFW Post 308 in Newtown.

Paul O. Kolbe, age 96, passed away peacefully at River Glen Health Care Center in Southbury on February 22, 2016. He was pre-deceased by his wife of 64 years, Lois Hitchcock Kolbe (1919-2007)

I met Paul Kolbe at the Reunion of the 83rd Division Association, West Point, New York, 2011.

Gallery

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