Marion Carstens

[He was valedictorian RHS class of 1937]

August 1, 1940 Davenport Times-Tribune

Marion Carstens returned from Camp Lewis last week where he had several weeks of advanced military training. [He was still in college, so this must have been ROTC training.]

June 12, 1942 Davenport Times-Tribune

Marion R. Carstens, son of Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Carstens, a member of the senior class of Washington State college, graduated Monday with high honors. He received his commission as second Lieutenant in R. O. T. C. and reported at Fort George Wright Tuesday for his physical examination. He will got to Fort Ord, California within the next ten days. He also received his private pilots license Monday. He accompanied his parents home the same day, who were at Pullman for the graduation exercises. Others attending the graduation were Mr. and Mrs. Hugo E. Schulz, Janice Schulz and Keith Schulz, Mrs. Lila Carstens and William Strand of Spokane.

[Marion is the brother of Vern Carstens.]

December 19, 1941 Davenport Times-Tribune

Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Carstens returned Tuesday of last week from a trip through California and while there, attended the wedding of their son, Second Lieutenant Marion Carstens to Miss Vivian Adams of Pullman at Carson City, Nevada, December 1. Lieutenant Carstens graduated from Washington State college in June and has been in military service since. After war was declared with Japan, he was transferred from Fort Ord, California, to some place only known to the war department.

April 16, 1942 Davenport Times-Tribune

Marion Carstens, who is with the army at Gilroy, California, has been promoted to First Lieutenant.

October 8, 1942 Davenport Times-Tribune

Marion Robert Carstens, 28, son of Mr. and Mrs. [Albert] C. Carstens, has had two promotions since entering the army in June, 1941, is a second lieutenant. Several months ago he was made a first lieutenant and recently received his captain's bars. He is with the Engineer's battalion somewhere in California on desert training.

He was graduated from Reardan high school and Washington State college with the agricultural engineering class of 1941. He was a member of Alpha Tau Omega, Sigma Tau and Scabbard and Blade. In November he was married to Miss Vivian Adams of Pullman.

May 27, 1943 Davenport Times-Tribune

After several weeks, Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Carstens have received word from their son, Captain Marion B. Carstens, that he has arrived at his destination overseas, but could not say where he was located. He is an engineer in the U.S. army.

June 17, 1943 Davenport Times-Tribune

Marion Carstens (near left) at his Purple Heart ceremony. Notice his left jaw.

Captain Marion Carstens called his parents, Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Carstens, Wednesday morning of last week from Vancouver, Wash., telling them that he had received a bullet wound in the jaw while seeing action in the Attu [island in] the Aleutian islands. [This was the only land battle on U.S. soil during WWII.] He was brought to the hospital in Vancouver from Alaska by a hospital plane. Captain Carstens was with an engineer's corps of the army and is a graduate of the local high school and of WSC. He received his promotion to captain less than a year ago, at the age of 23. Mr. and Mrs. Carstens left Friday to spend a few days with him. They returned home Monday. His wife, the former Vivian Adams of Pullman, is with him.

August 5, 1943 Davenport Times-Tribune

Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Carstens have received word from their son, Captain Marion R. Carstens that he is getting along nicely at the army hospital in Brigham, Utah, where he is receiving treatment for a wound received at Attu. Captain and Mrs. Carstens are living off the post.

July 20, 1944 Davenport Times-Tribune

Captain and Mrs. Marion R. Carstens stopped here Saturday night and spent Sunday with Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Carstens. Captain Carstens has been stationed at Bushnell general hospital at Brigham, Utah., for several months and was on his way to Fort Lewis, where he will be stationed.

October 18, 1945

Captain Marion Carstens will leave soon for Iowa City, Iowa, where he will take graduate work in engineering at the University of Iowa. Capt. Carstens is a graduate of the engineering school at Washington State college, received his discharge at Fort Lewis. He entered the service in June 1940 and wears the Purple Heart for wounds received in the Aleutian islands. For more than a year he has been at the Madigan hospital at Fort Lewis. Captain Carstens is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Carstens. His wife will accompany him to Iowa.