After two years at college at Rutgers, Bob and his twin left college and enlisted in the Army Air Corp. where both became fighter pilots in P-47 Thunderbolts in the European front. They participated in the D-Day Invasion and flew numerous missions over France and Germany. Bob and his brother were in the 56th Fighter Group of the 63rd Fighter Squadron (part of Zemke's "Wolf Pack" stationed in Norwich, England). Bob was shot down in August 1944 and was interred as a P.O.W. in Germany for 9 months where he was liberated by Gen. Patton's army on his 22nd birthday. Unfortunately, his twin brother was shot down and killed in action the day after Bob was shot down.



Bob was honorably discharged as a Flight Officer in 1945. He married Joan Allen Macaulay on July 21, 1945. He and Joan had one child, Robert Magel Jr. Bob started in sales in LaGrange, IL, then moved to Closter, NJ where he took a job in Pelham, NY for Phillip Stahl & Co where he spent 38 years, working his way up to VP of Sales & Operations.