William M. Marlin enlisted in the Air Force on January 25, 1943 at the age of 17. His father was a veteran of World War I. He trained at McDill Air Force Base in Tampa, FL. On July 18, 1944, at the age of 19, he was shot down during the Memmingen, Germany raid for which the 483rd received a Presidential Unit Citation. My father was severely injured in his position as a waist gunner and upon the order to evacuate the plane which was on fire, he became a prisoner of war. His injuries were severe enough to be taken to a German hospital prior to being sent to Stalag Luft 1. My father returned to the U.S. by hospital ship after the camp was liberated by the Russians in May of 1945. My father spoke about Clair Cline who was also a prisoner of war at the time in the camp. William Marlin became a success in the world of finance managing the fixed income department of a major investment banking firm on Wall Street.