World War II Honoree

Marcus Alfred Mullen

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Franklin, Tennessee

Honored By

Sam E. Pennartz

GRADUATED FROM THE VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE WITH THE CLASS OF 1936 AND WAS COMMISSIONED A 2ND LIEUTENANT IN THE ARMY. UNDERWENT B-29 AIRCRAFT TRANSITION AND COMBAT CREW TRAINING AT WALKER ARMY AIR FIELD NEAR VICTORIA, KANSAS. DEPLOYED TO THE CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATRES OF OPERATION AND WAS ASSIGNED TO 20TH AIR FORCE, XXI BOMBER COMMAND, 73RD BOMB WING, 500TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP, HEADQUARTERS SECTION SQUADRON (GROUP OPERATIONS OFFICER) STATIONED AT ISLEY FIELD ON SAIPAN IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS. ON JANUARY 3, 1945, HE FLEW AS A MISSION OBSERVER ABOARD A BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS, NICKNAMED 'THE LEADING LADY' (SERIAL # 42-24766) TAIL CODE: Z-SQUARE-22. IT WAS ONE OF 97 AIRCRAFT LAUNCHED IN A MULTI-GROUP FORMATION TO BOMBARD THE PORT FACILITIES AND URBAN AREAS OF NAGOYA, JAPAN. FLAK FROM ANTI-AIRCRAFT ARTILLERY WAS MEAGER, AND ENEMY FIGHTER AIRCRAFT ATTACKS WERE DESCRIBED AS MODERATE, WITH 346 PASSES REPORTED. ABOUT 10 MINUTES AFTER BOMBS AWAY, HIS AIRCRAFT EXCHANGED GUNNERY FIRE WITH AN ATTACKING KAWASAKI KI-61 HIEN 'TONY' FIGHTER PLANE. HIS AIRCRAFT WAS STRUCK BY THE 'TONY' BETWEEN THE NOSE FUSELAGE AND THE #3 ENGINE. HE WAS KILLED WHEN HIS DISABLED AIRCRAFT CRASHED AND BURNED ABOUT 30 KILOMETERS SOUTHEAST OF NAGOYA, IN SODAME FOREST NEAR THE VILLAGE OF MATSUDAIRA.