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Full Name: Laymon Robert Marshall II
Spouse: Opal Romine
Children: Wade, Laymon Robert Marshall III, Charlynne, Vallorie
Branch of Service: U.S. Army—Company C 836th Engineer Aviation Battalion
Time Served: July 27, 1942- October 4, 1945
Training: Basic Training—Fort Logan, Colorado, Hammer Field—Fresno California, Caterpillar Tractor Co. U.S. Army Engineer—Peoria, Illinois
Awards or Medals: Mechanics Award, Philippine Island Campaign Bronze Battle Star, Philippine Island Liberation Ribbon with one Bronze Star, New Guinea Campaign Bronze Battle Star, Bismarck Archipelago Campaign Bronze Battle Star, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal
Where Served: New Guinea, Dutch East Indies, Clark Field in Manila, Philippine Islands. Battles: New Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago, Luzon.
Deceased: Yes
Where Living When Entered Service: Cope, Colorado
Drafted or Volunteer: Drafted
Spouse: Opal Romine
Children: Wade, Laymon Robert Marshall III, Charlynne, Vallorie
Branch of Service: U.S. Army—Company C 836th Engineer Aviation Battalion
Time Served: July 27, 1942- October 4, 1945
Training: Basic Training—Fort Logan, Colorado, Hammer Field—Fresno California, Caterpillar Tractor Co. U.S. Army Engineer—Peoria, Illinois
Awards or Medals: Mechanics Award, Philippine Island Campaign Bronze Battle Star, Philippine Island Liberation Ribbon with one Bronze Star, New Guinea Campaign Bronze Battle Star, Bismarck Archipelago Campaign Bronze Battle Star, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal
Where Served: New Guinea, Dutch East Indies, Clark Field in Manila, Philippine Islands. Battles: New Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago, Luzon.
Deceased: Yes
Where Living When Entered Service: Cope, Colorado
Drafted or Volunteer: Drafted
![Picture](/uploads/3/1/3/0/31308715/351455.jpg)
I was inducted into the army in Ft. Logan, and then sent to Fresno, California, Hammer Field, for my training. I was a diesel mechanic. We were learning maneuvers and preparing to go overseas. Our battalion was sent to New Guinea by boat. It took us 31 days to get there. We were stacked in there like hogs. People were getting sick. I don’t even like to talk about it. I got real sick once.
We made roads for the trucks to go through the virgin jungles. White men had never been in there. We had to build bridges, and I was available to fix whatever broke down. We moved to many different places. We were in the Dutch East Indies. It was just like all the rest of the jungles; stinkin’ hot. We then went to the Philippine Islands. None of the people bothered us. They were supposedly our allies, but I didn’t trust anybody because we were at war.
Whenever there were air bombings, an alarm would go off and we’d hide in fox holes that would fit six to eight men. Every time the alarm went off, one of the guys would always follow me. His name was Hopper. He was really a nice guy, but he’d get so scared he’s start shaking real bad. I’d get out of the fox hole and see if the planes were close or not.
One night I was working on a cat. I looked up and saw a plane coming down. It had its lights on, and I could tell it was a Jap. plane. I knew I had to get out of there because I was in a target area. I ran as fast as I could, and when the bombs went off, the force was so strong it knocked me off my feet and into the air.
One day, one of the guys came into my tent and said, “Marshall, you’re going home in the morning.” We came home by boat. It took twenty seven days. We stopped at the Marshall Islands, etc. on our way home. When we saw the San Francisco shore, I couldn’t believe it. I got to come home a little earlier than some of the men because I had a wife and two little boys at home. I never had any doubt but what I would get back, but I never had any idea when; a year, or two or what.
We made roads for the trucks to go through the virgin jungles. White men had never been in there. We had to build bridges, and I was available to fix whatever broke down. We moved to many different places. We were in the Dutch East Indies. It was just like all the rest of the jungles; stinkin’ hot. We then went to the Philippine Islands. None of the people bothered us. They were supposedly our allies, but I didn’t trust anybody because we were at war.
Whenever there were air bombings, an alarm would go off and we’d hide in fox holes that would fit six to eight men. Every time the alarm went off, one of the guys would always follow me. His name was Hopper. He was really a nice guy, but he’d get so scared he’s start shaking real bad. I’d get out of the fox hole and see if the planes were close or not.
One night I was working on a cat. I looked up and saw a plane coming down. It had its lights on, and I could tell it was a Jap. plane. I knew I had to get out of there because I was in a target area. I ran as fast as I could, and when the bombs went off, the force was so strong it knocked me off my feet and into the air.
One day, one of the guys came into my tent and said, “Marshall, you’re going home in the morning.” We came home by boat. It took twenty seven days. We stopped at the Marshall Islands, etc. on our way home. When we saw the San Francisco shore, I couldn’t believe it. I got to come home a little earlier than some of the men because I had a wife and two little boys at home. I never had any doubt but what I would get back, but I never had any idea when; a year, or two or what.