He was the son of David F. and Rubie (Davis) Phillips. He was a gunner, with rank SP4 assigned to the 114TH AHC, 13TH AVN BN, 1ST AVIATION BDE, USARV. On September 26, 1966, Marvin was on his first day in Vietnam. He and Major Norman L. DuPre, Captain Henry Lee Mosburg, and Specialist Four Richard H. Pystor, all assigned to the 114th Assault Helicopter Company, were in a UH-1B Iroquois (Huey) helicopter on a combat assault mission. The helicopter was hit by enemy ground fire while flying off the coast of South Vietnam and crashed in approximately nine feet of water. Specialist Pystor survived the impact and was rescued by other aircraft involved in the mission. The body of Major Dupre was also recovered at that time. Although extensive searches of the water and coastline were conducted, the bodies of Captain Mosburg and SP4 Phillips were never located. Both men were presumed dead. Marvin's remains were postively identified in 2011 and he was buried next to his parents on the 45th anniversary of his death. His military awards include: the Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart, Air Medal with Numeral "26," Army Commendation Medal with one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, Army good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with three Bronze Service Stars, Basic Aviation Badge, Expert Badge with Rifle and Recoilless Rifle Bards, Gold Star Lapel Button, Vietnam Campaign Medal with "60" Device, Republic of Vietnam Military Merit Medal, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm and Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with Palm. He is honored and remembered on The Vietnam War Memorial Wall on Panel 11E Line 020. He is survived by his sisters, Mary Ruth (Mike) Shadrick, Palmer and Lucy (Paul) West; brothers, Jerry Lee Phillips, James Earl Phillips, Bill Phillips, Kirk Phillips, Gruetli-Laager and Glenn (Terry) Phillips; several nieces and nephews. (Bio written by Sue)