World War II Honoree

Marvin Gordon Althauser

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Cathlamet, Washington

Honored By

Merrylee A. Lanehart & Michael G. Althauser

Relationship

Daughter & Son

HE SERVED HONORABLY AS A MEMBER OF THE ARMY MILITARY POLICE FROM 1942 TO 1943 AND FROM LATE 1943 TO 1945 AS A TROOP AND SUPPLY TRANSPORT DRIVER WITH THE ARMY AIR CORPS. WHILE STATIONED AT FORT GEORGE WRIGHT, SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, HE WAS PROUD TO HAVE BEEN THE FIRST CAUCASIAN MEMBER OF THE MILITARY POLICE IN ARMY HISTORY TO BE TEAMED WITH AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEMBER OF THE MILITARY POLICE. THIS VOLUNTARY TEST PROGRAM WAS PART OF THE ARMY'S 1ST STEPS TOWARD RACIAL INTEGRATION. IN LATE 1943 TO 1945 HE SERVED IN NORTH AFRICA AND THEN FOGGIA, ITALY WITH THE 463RD BOMB GROUP, 774TH SQUADRON, 5TH WING OF THE 15TH AIR FORCE. THE 463RD RECEIVED THE BLUE BATTLE STREAMER FOR 'OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE OF DUTY IN ARMED CONFLICT WITH THE ENEMY' DURING THE BOMBING ATTACK AGAINST THE ROMANO-AMERICANO OIL REFINERY, PLOESTI, RUMANIA ON MAY 18, 1944. WHEN ALL OTHER GROUPS TURNED BACK BECAUSE OF EXTREMELY ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE 463RD CONTINUED ON ALONE. DESPITE HEAVY ANTI-AIRCRAFT FIRE FROM THE GROUND AND DEVASTATING CANNON FIRE FROM APPROXIMATELY 100 ENEMY FIGHTER PLANES, THE 463RD INFLICTED SEVERE DAMAGE ON THE REFINERY, HELPING TO CONSIDERABLY SHORTEN THE WAR IN EUROPE.