Edward James Stupca
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Army
Edward James Stupca served in World War II.
He served in the U.S. Army. He joined the Army on November 15, 1943. He did his basic training in Tyler, Texas. Mr. Stupca was sent to Liverpool, England, then to Dover, and on to France. His unit was assigned to the front lines and planned to take Strasbourg. He was injured on November 17. 1944.
Mr. Stupca was near the wounded waiting for a truck to transport them to a hospital. After the other wounded were carried off, someone realized that Mr. Stupca was still alive. He was put on a stretcher, loaded on a jeep, and had a very uncomfortable ride to a hospital. He spent a lot of time in hospitals recovering, but he was a morale booster to other patients.
He was discharged in February 1946.
Mr. Stupca was born in 1925 in Gilbert, Minnesota, the son of Charles and Frances Stupca.
Source: Veterans’ Memorial Hall veteran history form; veteran’s family member’s account (below)
“My dad was the twelfth of thirteen children. He turned eighteen in 1943 and enlisted three months after his birthday. His brothers Joe and Frank were in the Air Corps, and his brother Tony was in the Navy. The baby of the family, John, joined the Army and was later stationed in Japan.
“Dad told me he didn’t want to be in the Navy because he couldn’t swim and would liked to be in the Air Corps with his brothers, but he was sick on the day he reported for duty and was assigned to the Army. He went through basic training in Tyler, Texas, and was shipped to Liverpool. From there he went to Dover and on to France. His unit was on the front lines; they were supposed to take Strasbourg by that night. They held back at the front, and the German artillery came in. On November 17th, 1944, he was wounded. He remembers three shells fired. After the first, he said, ‘That one was pretty close.’ After the second, ‘That’s not as bad.’ He thought the third was pretty far away, but that one got him.
“He remembers walking across a river and being asked, ‘Can’t you see where you are going?’ He pointed behind him at an advancing German tank. He remembers thinking they wouldn’t waste a shell on a single soldier.
“The wounded were laid out beside a building, waiting to be transported to a hospital. A truck picked the survivors up. After it left, someone noticed that my dad was still alive, and they put him on a stretcher, laid the stretcher on a jeep, and brought him to a hospital. Sixty-plus years later, he still remembers that horrendous, jostling ride.
“Dad went from one field hospital to another before being brought to the main hospital. He shared stories about the nurses, both American nurses and German prisoner of war nurses. He recalls ‘Bed Check Charlie’ flying overhead every night and everyone hiding under their beds. Dad spent a lot of time in the hospital. The shrapnel ran down the side of his body and took out his right eye. He was bandaged from head to toe but managed to help out with shaving some of the other guys. The nurses told him he was a morale booster; if he could make it, anyone could.
“Dad was sent back to the states and spent time at Vaughn General Hospital in Chicago. Eventually he was discharged and returned to Gilbert, Minnesota. He married Margaret Rose Russ and had four children.”
