Eugene "Gene" William Houser was born 5/4/22 in Berkeley, California. He graduated from Albany High School in 1940. In 1942, he was the 3rd baseman for the Oakland Acorns, Pacific Coast League AAA Ball.



On 3/10/43 he entered USAAC. He attended basic training in Atlantic City, NJ, Airplane Mechanics School in LaGuardia Air Field, NY, the Casey Jones School of Aeronautics in Newark, NJ, B-24 Specialist School at the Willow Run Plant Ypsalanti, Michigan and Phase Training and Gunner School in Wendover, Utah.



Gene was stationed in Halesworth, England as part of the 489th Bombardment Group. He was part of the crew for the B-24 'Ol Buddy'. He was awarded the Good Conduct Ribbon, a Bronze Star, and Overseas Bar, a Unit Citation and the European Theater Ribbon.



He was injured and was ultimately hospitalized in 1948 at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Oakland, California where he remained as a patient until 1951. His injuries left his right leg permanently crippled. There he met his future wife, Nurse Cadet Genevieve Fern Hawse, who he married 09/01/51. He had four children: Melinda Gene, Robin Diane, Kim Frederick and Maurine Martha.



Gene moved his family to Northern Virginia after graduation from Sacramento Junior College and entered into American University where he obtained his BS in Business Administration graduating Cum Laude in 1953. He became a certified public accountant and practiced privately until becoming the Comptroller for the Marine Corps Exchange Services in 1968.



Gene retired from the MCXS in 1988. Gene was a founding member of the River Bend Golf and Country Club in Great Falls, Virginia. He was a member of the Lewinsville Presbyterian Church and served as an auditor and treasurer. Gene was an accomplished golfer, woodworker, softball coach, fisherman, boater, hunter, mechanic and handyman. He loved the arts and traveling. Gene passed away at home on 07/26/97 from a battle with liver cancer, which was ironically caused by Hepatitis he contracted from a blood transfusion that saved his life in 1948.