George A. Strock
LIFE Magazine Photographer

Background
George A. Strock was born July 3, 1911 to parents William L. Strock and Mary R. Lippert Strock in Dyersville, Iowa. His family moved to Los Angeles and attended John C. Fremont High School and studied photography and graduated with the class of 1928. Afterwards, he worked for his father's battery business then as a cameraman taking portrait and casual photographs. By 1938 he worked for the Los Angeles Times as a photographer and his photos appeared in Modern Screen magazine. At that time he married Rose Marie and had two sons: George and William.

Wartime History
At the start of the Pacific War, the TIME/LIFE bureau in Los Angeles needed additional photographers and his friend and colleague Dick Pollard referred Strock who began taking assignments and was later hired full time.

In September 1942, Strock photographed the crew of B-17E "Frank Buck" 41-2659 that landed low on fuel on a beach at Hood Point. He documented them awiting rescue, interacting with locals and building an improvised runway on the beach to take off again.

On October 15, 1942 Strock photographed an award ceremony for air crews from the 19th Bombardment Group (19th BG) at Mareeba Airfield. In attendance was Major General George C. Kenney (C.O., 5th Air Force), Brigadier General Kenneth N. Walker (Commanding General, 5th Bomber Command, wearing sunglasses) and Lt Colonel Richard H. Carmichael (C.O. 19th Bombardment Group, holding cane). The men are from the 19th Bomb Group who flying combat missions since the start of the Pacific War from the Philippines, Java, Australia and New Guinea.

During late 1942 until early 1943 covered the Allies in New Guinea and the Battle of Buna-Gona-Sandanana and took hundreds of photos of Australian Army and U.S. Army soldiers in combat, dead Japanese, tanks and battlefield conditions. Strock took an iconic photograph of three dead U.S. Army soldiers laying in the sand at the tide line on the beach at Giropa Point (Jiropa) near Buna with a partially sunken Japanese landing craft behind them. The dead were from 32nd Infantry Division (32nd ID), 128th Infantry Regiment (128th IR), Company F and Company E that were advancing to capture Buna. They died on either December 31, 1942, January 1, 1943 or January 2, 1943. That same day or soon afterwards, Strock took the iconic photograph. Later, after LIFE correspondent Cal Whipple went to the White House for permission, this photograph became the first published photograph to depict dead Americans.

On February 18, 1944 U.S. Marines from the 22nd Marine Regiment made an amphibious landing at Engebi Island. During the battle, LIFE photographer George Strock captured a Japanese soldier burned alive by a flamethrower as he emerged from a hole to throw a hand grenade.

Memorials
Strock passed away on August 23, 1977 in Los Angeles, CA.

References
LIFE The Photography of George Strock (photos)
Kenneth N Walker - Photos by George Strock, LIFE Magazine October 15, 1942
Hell's Battlefield (2012) by Phil Bradley pages 157 (Strock / Maggot Beach)

Contribute Information
Do you have photos or additional information to add?