George J. Mahl was born in New York City on October 13, 1925, the son of German immigrants George Mahl (1895-1929) and Marie Forsch. He had one sister, Helene. Mahl enlisted in the United States Army. From September 1944-January 1945, he served with the 346th Infantry Regiment, Company G, in England, France, and Belgium. Mahl was wounded in the leg in January 1945 and spent the next few months at military hospitals in France and England.
From the guide to the George Mahl correspondence, Mahl, George correspondence, 1944-1945, (William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan)