Born in Arizona on September 19, 1901. Commander of the 740th Tank Battalion in WW2. This winter marks the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge when Adolph Hitler sent his best tankers, led by Kampfgruppe Peiper, to defeat Americans in the Ardennes on December 16, 1944. What many of you may not recognize is that the fearless leader of the 740th Tank Battalion, who defeated Hitler's "last stand", was a hero from Arizona.

Lt. Col. George K. Rubel took command of the 740th Tank Battalion with a goal to turn the battalion into the best tankers in the U.S. Army. Lieutenant General Courtney M. Hodges, commanding the U.S. First Army occupied the only remaining unit of armor, which happened to be codenamed "Daredevil", and from that point on, the battalion was referenced as the 'Daredevils'.

"Lt. Col. Rubel’s 740th Tank Battalion accounted for 69 enemy tanks destroyed, including 17 Tiger and Tiger IIs. The Daredevils also smashed or captured hundreds of cannon and combat vehicles. They even shot up 200 airplanes, most of them caught on the ground when the battalion overran an airfield at Hagenow," (Warfare History Network).

Rubel was also a very accurate rifleman while competing with the Army installation here in Phoenix. Lt. Col. Rubel was a war hero who lived and died in Phoenix. His fearless leadership has shaped history in ways that we can never repay.