Robert Straba

Robert J. Straba, our dad, a family man, son of an immigrant, Catholic, Combat Arms US Army Veteran and US Atomic Energy Commission and Fire Safety Engineer who has served our country from 1942 to 1997. Dad died peacefully with his children at his side on September 10, 2012 under the care of hospice, succumbing to cancer. Robert was born on October 3, 1919, and raised with his surviving sister Dorothy Caldwell and his surviving brother, William Straba in the farming, auto industry, community of Owosso, Michigan. Robert's parent's, Geza Frank Strba (Straba), his father and mother, Sylvia Kolarik-Straba were both legal immigrants from Slovakia and Croatia. Geza fled involuntary recruitment in the Austro-Hungarian Army to subsequently serve with honor in the Michigan Army National Guard on the Mexican Border during the first World War earning US Citizenship for his family. Bob was married to his loving wife of 58 years, Margaret King Straba, an active practicing Registered Nurse in the State of New Mexico until the age of 78 of years. Margaret preceded Bob to the afterlife while their son Jim served in Iraq. Bob and Margaret lived 50 years in Albuquerque raising their surviving children; Jim Straba (USG SSA/Criminal Investigator and USAR 18B4SF retired), Martha Straba-Sorrell (Nurse), Dorothy Straba-Wright (Nurse), Lori Frohe (Registered Nurse and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner) and the youngest, Rosemary Daskalos (Registered Nurse.) In October 1942, Robert entered France as a soldier in a Mechanized Infantry Company numbering about 220 men under Patton's 14th Armor Division. Robert's unit were fighting men who helped stop the 25th German tank Panzer Corp on a flank in the Battle of the Bulge. Robert's US Army, 14th Armor Division, 19th Army Infantry Regiment liberated more prisoners of war and death camps than any other World War II unit. He was one of only ten of the original 220 warriors surviving two years of horror fighting through France to finally drink liberated German whiskey at the top of Nazi Hitler's Bavarian mountain redoubt. Dad stood on Hitler's Eagle's Nest M-1 rifle in hand while proudly wearing his Combat Infantry Badge and Bronze Stars-with valor and pocketing a Nazi owned broken piano key and shard of shattered window from the Hitler's nest. Dad had war nightmares and restlessness for 72 years of his 92 years of life and his children lived with the collateral consequences of the big war. In 1944, PFC Straba was short of the required 30 combat days to be discharged from the Army in Germany and thus Bob with his green replacements was sadly being prepared for the invasion of Japan. President Truman saved our soldiers and thus made possible the creation of our family by dropping the atomic bomb. Robert, a combat soldier, will be laid to rest at Santa Fe National Cemetery on Friday September 14th, 2012 at 11:15am with full military honors. His enduring spirit stands reflected in the waving of the US flag where ever it fly's.