By Deborah Larsen
Marvin Lee Cram
Marvin Lee Cram was born in Detroit, Michigan, on September 4, 1925, the son of Ervin and Iva Mae Coffman Cram. Marvin grew up in Rochester and attended Rochester High School, graduating in the class of 1944. His high school education was interrupted by his military service, and he received his diploma in 1946 with his final credits awarded for military experience.
In July 1943, Marvin enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces. He was trained as an aerial gunner and assigned to the 351st Bombardment Group based in England, where he served as a nose gunner on the B-17 Flying Fortress. Marvin received the Air Medal for meritorious achievement for his participation in air attacks against German airfields and industrial sites to prepare the way for the Allied crossing of the Rhine River.
After the war, Marvin married, started a family, and continued his career in the United States Air Force, during which time he was stationed at Anchorage, Alaska, and Germany. He retired at the rank of major after 22 years of service. He and his family settled in San Bernardino, California, in 1962.
Marvin Lee Cram died at the age of 94 on February 8, 2020, and was laid to rest at Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California.