JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii -- Lt. Gen. Winton "Bones" Marshall, former Pacific Air Forces vice commander and F-86 Sabre pilot recently passed away at Tripler Army Medical Center, Hawaii.
Marshall is survived by wife Mildred Taylor Marshall, daughter Patricia Marshall Gregory, granddaughters Katherine Gregory Newman and Jacelyn Gregory Locke and great-granddaughter Margaret Maclaine Newman.
"Bones was a talented and interesting man who loved the Air Force and served his country well," said Nathaniel Gregory, Marshall's son-in-law. "He developed a bit of a reputation as a trouble-shooter and problem-solver in the Air Force."
Gregory said his father-in-law's reputation preceded him as Bones would always find ways to stay engaged and close to his Airmen and would even move his office to be closer to the action.
"He always wanted to know what was really going on," Gregory said. "For example, whenever he was transferred to a new assignment, Marshall would move his office down near the flight line, where he could be with the pilots and crews in his command."
According to Gregory, Marshall would go in first-hand and ask a lot of questions, looking for reasons something might not be working, so he could fix it. Years later, Bones confessed to Gregory that his superiors did not always understand the specifics of an issue, but Bones always made it a priority to learn, so he could assist in fixing it.
Marshall is most well-known as the fifth jet ace of the Korean War, where he was credited with six and a half enemy aircraft destroyed, seven probable and six damaged aircraft. However, “Bones” also maintained an active friendship with South Korea.
His F-86 Sabre aircraft still stands among the static displays, located here on Hickam.
"Bones was involved in the effort to locate American pilots missing-in-action during the war," Gregory said. "In addition to receiving numerous medals and awards from the Republic of Korea, Marshall was flown to Seoul in July as an honored guest at their Armistice Day Celebration, where he received the Order of Civil Merit Moran Medal."
When Marshall was not solving problems, destroying enemy aircraft or earning medals, he spent his time painting, fishing and driving sports cars.
"Bones was a very talented painter," Gregory said. "He began taking art lessons when he was in Germany. He also loved driving his sports cars, but I think more than painting or driving Porsches, Marshall loved fishing. I told Bones right before he passed away that I wanted him to be reincarnated as a trout so I could catch him in the Little Truckee River in Nevada.
"The river held a secret spot where he and I used to go fishing," he continued." It is something I miss even more now that he is gone."
Memorial service details are not yet available. Marshall is slated to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Born in Detroit and raised in a Chicago suburb, Marshall enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps as a cadet in the spring of 1942. Marshall served with Pacific Air Forces as vice commander at Hickam Air Force Base from 1974 to 1975.