Marion Minniear grew up in Midland, MI. Prior to entering the service in World War Two, he married Rosemary Emmons in August 1943.
Staff Sergeant Minniear served with the 824th Bomb Squadron, 484th Bomb Group, 49th Bomb Wing, 15th Army Air Force. His first assignment was with the crew of B24 Liberator Bomber 41-29502, #12 "Fuel-Cell Fanny":
Rex Bennett, Pilot
Bruce C. Dein, Navigator
Herman F. Fuhrman, Flight Engineer & Right Waist Gunner
William O. Haege, Top Turret Gunner
Thomas B. Hett, Bombardier
Marion F. Minniear, Ball Turret Gunner
Lynn Monson, Nose Gunner
Ernest J. Podlucky, Copilot
Thomas R. Wallace, Jr., Tail Gunner
Walter C. Wieczorek, Radio Operator & Left Waist Gunner
On or before May 31, 1944, Minniear was transferred to another crew in the same squadron, bomber 42-52687 #20 "Guardian Angel." His new position was Nose Gunner. He requested the transfer because he was tall and hated the crammed position of Ball Turret Gunner.
Sadly, on Sep. 14, 1944, Marion was killed in a train accident while en route from Chicago, IL to Miami, FL for reassignment. He had recently returned from Italy for 30 days furlough. While on leave, he learned that he would not be returning to Italy, and instead, would be reassigned to a B29 crew and go to the Pacific Theatre.
Fellow B24 crew member, Herman Fuhrman, who was also in the same train wreck and survived, remembered of Minniear, "He was a real nice guy. He sometimes would joke around with us. He fit in with the bunch. He was somewhat quiet and tended to his business."
Staff Sergeant Minniear served with the 824th Bomb Squadron, 484th Bomb Group, 49th Bomb Wing, 15th Army Air Force. His first assignment was with the crew of B24 Liberator Bomber 41-29502, #12 "Fuel-Cell Fanny":
Rex Bennett, Pilot
Bruce C. Dein, Navigator
Herman F. Fuhrman, Flight Engineer & Right Waist Gunner
William O. Haege, Top Turret Gunner
Thomas B. Hett, Bombardier
Marion F. Minniear, Ball Turret Gunner
Lynn Monson, Nose Gunner
Ernest J. Podlucky, Copilot
Thomas R. Wallace, Jr., Tail Gunner
Walter C. Wieczorek, Radio Operator & Left Waist Gunner
On or before May 31, 1944, Minniear was transferred to another crew in the same squadron, bomber 42-52687 #20 "Guardian Angel." His new position was Nose Gunner. He requested the transfer because he was tall and hated the crammed position of Ball Turret Gunner.
Sadly, on Sep. 14, 1944, Marion was killed in a train accident while en route from Chicago, IL to Miami, FL for reassignment. He had recently returned from Italy for 30 days furlough. While on leave, he learned that he would not be returning to Italy, and instead, would be reassigned to a B29 crew and go to the Pacific Theatre.
Fellow B24 crew member, Herman Fuhrman, who was also in the same train wreck and survived, remembered of Minniear, "He was a real nice guy. He sometimes would joke around with us. He fit in with the bunch. He was somewhat quiet and tended to his business."
Marion Minniear grew up in Midland, MI. Prior to entering the service in World War Two, he married Rosemary Emmons in August 1943.
Staff Sergeant Minniear served with the 824th Bomb Squadron, 484th Bomb Group, 49th Bomb Wing, 15th Army Air Force. His first assignment was with the crew of B24 Liberator Bomber 41-29502, #12 "Fuel-Cell Fanny":
Rex Bennett, Pilot
Bruce C. Dein, Navigator
Herman F. Fuhrman, Flight Engineer & Right Waist Gunner
William O. Haege, Top Turret Gunner
Thomas B. Hett, Bombardier
Marion F. Minniear, Ball Turret Gunner
Lynn Monson, Nose Gunner
Ernest J. Podlucky, Copilot
Thomas R. Wallace, Jr., Tail Gunner
Walter C. Wieczorek, Radio Operator & Left Waist Gunner
On or before May 31, 1944, Minniear was transferred to another crew in the same squadron, bomber 42-52687 #20 "Guardian Angel." His new position was Nose Gunner. He requested the transfer because he was tall and hated the crammed position of Ball Turret Gunner.
Sadly, on Sep. 14, 1944, Marion was killed in a train accident while en route from Chicago, IL to Miami, FL for reassignment. He had recently returned from Italy for 30 days furlough. While on leave, he learned that he would not be returning to Italy, and instead, would be reassigned to a B29 crew and go to the Pacific Theatre.
Fellow B24 crew member, Herman Fuhrman, who was also in the same train wreck and survived, remembered of Minniear, "He was a real nice guy. He sometimes would joke around with us. He fit in with the bunch. He was somewhat quiet and tended to his business."
Staff Sergeant Minniear served with the 824th Bomb Squadron, 484th Bomb Group, 49th Bomb Wing, 15th Army Air Force. His first assignment was with the crew of B24 Liberator Bomber 41-29502, #12 "Fuel-Cell Fanny":
Rex Bennett, Pilot
Bruce C. Dein, Navigator
Herman F. Fuhrman, Flight Engineer & Right Waist Gunner
William O. Haege, Top Turret Gunner
Thomas B. Hett, Bombardier
Marion F. Minniear, Ball Turret Gunner
Lynn Monson, Nose Gunner
Ernest J. Podlucky, Copilot
Thomas R. Wallace, Jr., Tail Gunner
Walter C. Wieczorek, Radio Operator & Left Waist Gunner
On or before May 31, 1944, Minniear was transferred to another crew in the same squadron, bomber 42-52687 #20 "Guardian Angel." His new position was Nose Gunner. He requested the transfer because he was tall and hated the crammed position of Ball Turret Gunner.
Sadly, on Sep. 14, 1944, Marion was killed in a train accident while en route from Chicago, IL to Miami, FL for reassignment. He had recently returned from Italy for 30 days furlough. While on leave, he learned that he would not be returning to Italy, and instead, would be reassigned to a B29 crew and go to the Pacific Theatre.
Fellow B24 crew member, Herman Fuhrman, who was also in the same train wreck and survived, remembered of Minniear, "He was a real nice guy. He sometimes would joke around with us. He fit in with the bunch. He was somewhat quiet and tended to his business."
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Advertisement
