Thomas V. Marino
Sergeant, USAAF

Gunner

Army Serial Number 13170769
MOS code 612 (Airplane Armorer – Gunner) [1]

Born on 10 April 1920 in Pennsylvania and died at the age of 24.
Thomas’ parents were Italian immigrants who departed from Palermo, Sicily, to the United States with their eldest son Anthony in the early years 1910. In 1944 the Marino family lived at 1006 Elder Avenue, Barnesboro, Pennsylvania [2].
He had completed four years of high school. He was enlisted on December 9, 1942, when he is reported working as railway brakesman [3].
Thomas served initially with the 460^th Bombardment Group (Heavy). He was transferred to the 885^th Bombardment Squadron on 11 September 1944 [4].
He made twelve special missions with the 885^th totaling over 96 combat hours.
Thomas gained a Citation of Honor from General of Army Henry H. Arnold in 1945 [5].

[1] Military Occupational Specialty code.
[2] Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Population Schedules, Sixteenth Census of the United States, USA, 1940.
[3] U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946.
[4] MacCloskey (1945), Transfers of Personnel Report, September 1944, p. 2.
[5] The photograph and some additional personal details reported in this section have been kindly supplied by Steve Kirsch, USA, grand-nephew of Sgt. Marino.