Marion Carl learned to fly while attending college and soloed after merely 2 1/2 hours of instruction. He studied engineering at Oregon State College (now OSU), Class of 1938, and earned his commission in the Army Reserve. Transferring to the Marine Corps, he became the 7th leading Marine ACE in World War II, credited with shooting down 18.5 enemy aircraft. It is believed it was Marion Carl who shot down the famous Japanese Navy Tainan Kokutai ace Junichi Sasai over Henderson Field. In 1947, Carl was one of two pilots selected to fly the Douglas D-558/I Skystreak in record setting speed attempts. That August, he was recorded at 650 mph, establishing a new world record. When Air Force Captain Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in October, he also broke Carl’s record. On June 28, 1998, Marion Carl was murdered while trying to protect his wife from an intruder at their home in Oregon.