Upon my return from Fort Moore, I continued research on Marion Clark Phillips, utilizing military records and newspaper clippings. She lived an incredible life and I hope you can gain the same sense of awe I did.
Sources differ on Marion Clark Phillips’ birth date, with a U.S. census placing the date in 1912, and HonorStates.org placing her birth date on November 27, 1915. Nevertheless, she had one older brother, Roger Earle Philips, who was born five years prior. Marion attended Orlando High School, graduating in 1928 when she then studied at the Florida State College for Women. While attending, Marion broke the record for the high jump by jumping four feet, five inches, the standing broad jump record with a seven-foot, eleven-inch jump, and finally the record for the basketball throw. She won first place in the 100-yard dash, the high jump, the broad jump, the basketball throw, and the hurdles, winning the highest point winner for the meet.
In addition, Marion served as the president of the athletic association from 1931-32 and was one of only two girls at the state college to be given the college emblem, the highest single athletic honor symbol awarded at the college and is rewarded for having accumulated seven “F’s”. In that same year, Marion represented Florida State College for Women at a national athletic convention at Syracuse University. After graduating from college in 1932, Marion went to nurse’s training at the Presbyterian Hospital in Philadelphia, becoming a member of the nursing staff. She later moved to work at John Sealy hospital in Galveston, Texas and before entering the service, Marion was on the staff of Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia.
In June 1942, shortly after the United States entered the Second World War, Marion joined the Army Nurse Corps and was sent overseas that same October as a 2nd Lieutenant. She served with distinction in the Allied North African and Italian Campaigns at her unit, 114th Station Hospital. Either herself or her unit was awarded a multitude of commendations, including the American Campaign Medal, the Nurse Corps Badge, and the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal.
Disastrously, on February 2, 1945, Marion was a passenger on a C-47 transport flight from Florence to Rome when extreme weather caused the plane to crash near Montieri, Italy. Marion was one of 23 casualties, many being service members nearing the end of their duties overseas. She has since been interred in the American Legion Plot of Greenwood Cemetery.
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