Born in Columbus, Indiana, on April 3, 1923, General Roy M. Marshall, an Air Force Reservist and a successful businessman, moved to Detroit, Michigan, at an early age and had been a resident there ever since.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1942 and received his commission and wings in 1944. General Marshall flew 79 combat missions, and 300 combat hours, in the P-47 Thunderbolt in Europe during World War II. He was being redeployed to the Pacific Theater of Operations when the war with Japan ended and he returned to civilian life where he completed college and received a Bachelor of Administration degree from Wayne State University.
He assumed command of the Tenth Air Force (Reserve) at Bergstrom AFB, Texas, on October 8, 1976. As a reserve commander, he exercised operational control over 167 Air Force Reserve units located in a 12-state area and over 14,500 Air Force reservists.
This assignment brought to the Tenth Air Force a commander whose civilian endeavors had uniquely prepared him for this management field. In his home state of Michigan, General Marshall had been president of a restaurant chain; vice-president and secretary-treasurer of a land corporation and vice-president of a consultant firm. He was on the Board of Directors of the Greater Michigan Foundation and was a Director of the Greater Detroit Safety Council.
Previously, General Marshall had been active in the 439th Fighter-Bomber Wing at Selfridge AFB, Michigan for over 20 years before moving to the Aerospace Defense Command in Duluth, Minnesota. In 1973 he was named commander of the 403d Tactical Airlift Wing at Selfridge Air National Guard Base.
Following his assignment commanding the Tenth Air Force, General Marshall served as the Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, Tactical Air Command, Langley AFB, Virginia.
A Command Pilot, General Marshall has been awarded the Legion of Merit, Air Medal with eight Oak Leaf Clusters, Distinguished Unit Citation with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Combat Readiness Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with two Service Stars, World War II Victory Medal, Army of Occupation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Air Force Longevity Service Award with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Armed Forces Reserve Medal (Air Force) with two hourglass devices, Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon, and Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation.