SSGT Marion Arlie Tennant (WWII)

SSGT Marion Arlie Tennant (Service #35382677) was born May 23, 1914 in Fairmont, West Virginia to Arlie and Mary (Ammons) Tennant, the younger of two sons. They were married in 1910, but divorced by the 1920 census.

In 1920, Mary and the children (Herbert and Marion) were living at 1109 Pennsylvania Avenue in Fairmont. In 1930, they were renting 205 Highland Avenue in Bellview, renting part of the house to Jack and Frances Green and their son Robert.

By 1940, Marion was working as a purchasing agent for the Fairmont Hotel. Built in 1916, the Fairmont Hotel stood on the corner of Jefferson and Monroe Streets. It is now home to the East View Apartments.

Marion entered the draft on October 16, 1940. He was 5'11" and 155 lbs, with gray eyes, brown hair, and light skin.

Military Service:

Marion enlisted in the Army and served with the 712th AAF Bomb Squadron, 448th Bomb Group. He was the right-waist gunner aboard the B-24 Liberator "Chubby Champ" when it was hit by Luftwaffe over Germany on April 29, 1944.

The American Air Museum in Britain says of their fate: "Assigned to 712BS, 448BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Berlin 29-Apr-44. Hit by flak and by fighters in rear fuselage. Bale out order given by pilot, 5 x POW, 5 x KIA. Crashed Oldenburg, Germany. MACR 4486."According to historian G. Blume, 64 bombers were lost to the Luftwaffe that day.

He is buried in a common grave at the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky, with four other members of the Chubby Champ's crew: 1Lt James G. Clark, SSGT Louis W. Curio, and CPL John L. Chisholm. According to their Internment Control Form, their remains were returned from Neuville, Belgium, and reinterred on April 19, 1951-- almost 7 years after their deaths. SSGT Charles H. Myers was also killed that day, but is buried separately in Pennsylvania.

On board the Chubby Champ:

Sources and More Information:

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