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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:

WORLD WAR II AND HAROLD CHRISTIAN MARSH

A few days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, by the Japanese on 7 Dec 1941, Harold Christian Marsh and 3 of his hometown buddies drove to San Angelo, TX., to volunteer for the U S Army Air Corps at Goodfellow Field.

Special Order #1: HAROLD WAS APPOINTED AVIATION CADET from the rank of PRIVATE 21 Jan 1942. He was soon sent to Lowry Field, Denver, CO., for Officer's Training and was commissioned as. a 2ND LIEUTENANT, 4 Sep 1942.

He was assigned to Barksdale Field, LA. to the 476 Bomb Squadron and was promoted to 1ST LIEUTENANT 2 Mar 1943; he became their Armament Officer. This put him in charge of all the fighting equipment on their airplanes, the maintaining of 11 miles of electrical wiring necessary in each bomber, the training of each man in how to break down and reassemble each type of gun they needed for their missions.

Harold was in the hotbed of activity on the Island of Tinian, much stirring around with meetings held in secret so that the plans couldn't be leaked to Japanese spies. A five star General appeared on the scene, so Harold knew something was up!!! This was the Headquarters of the 9th Bomb Group in the Asiatic Pacific Theatre, with the major goal of "Air Offensive Japan". Each of the Groups in the Squadron were being instructed to do their special job of arming the planes, but were not told WHY! Harold had been trained to lead his Group to keep all the fighting equipment on their planes in top-notch readiness, to take off in a fast minute's time.

Then the ENOLA GAY and other B-24's took off on their mission loaded with ATOMIC BOMBS to hit the heavy industrial cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. It was an effort to STOP the WAR. IT DID!

Years later, when Lt. Colonel Harold C. Marsh became a Southern Baptist Minister of the Gospel, he came to terms with the facts of war and his involvement:
1. the bombing of two cities where many innocent people were devastated by the atomic bomb drop, though of course they were part of the "enemy"
2. realizing that the bombing was necessary to prevent more years and more possible millions of lives being lost
3. most importantly, being a part of a nation's military forces to help keep the peace is an honorable part of living

He was awarded 2 Bronze Service Stars and Victory Medal and American Theatre Ribbon for his service.