An 8th Air Force Combat Veteran of WWII, Lt. Marshall Thixton was the B-17 Bombardier officially credited with releasing the first American bombs during the first daylight bombing mission of Berlin on March 4, 1944. Marshall was also the catalyst behind their book which ultimately became a collaborative effort amongst former B-17 crewmates, George Moffat and John O’Neil. Marshall was a career US Air Force Officer. He was born in Texas in 1924 and was sent to the state orphans’ home in Corsicana, Texas at age nine after the death of his father. Marshall graduated from the state orphan home in May 1941 and with $6.50 in his pocket, went out into the world. Like most people of Marshall’s generation, the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor changed everything.
The 8th Army Air Force Pathfinders... They Led the Way...