Hall of Fame: ​Marvin Glen Shields – PTHS Class of 1958

Marvin Glen Shields grew up on Discovery Bay near Port Townsend, Washington, where he was born in 1939. His father left the family when Marvin was young, and his mother later remarried. He and his younger brother, Ron, were very close. During their early years at PTHS they used their stepfather’s last name, Casselary, before returning to their birth name of Shields their senior year.

Marvin’s early life included hardship, and he and his brother hunted and fished to help provide for the family. Despite many responsibilities at home, Marvin played football at Port Townsend High School and received the Football Inspirational Award his senior year in 1958. Coaches believed the award reflected his dedication, as he often walked or hitchhiked ten miles home after practice. He also worked on local farms and dug clams at night for resale. Marvin loved people and enjoyed music and dancing, often playing guitar and singing at local dances with his future wife, Joan Murray.

After graduating in 1958, Marvin worked in Southeast Alaska in exploratory mining and logging, later returning to work at a Discovery Bay lumber mill. He joined the U.S. Navy in January 1962, completing boot camp in San Diego before being stationed at Glynco Naval Air Station in Brunswick, Georgia. He married Joan Murray in November 1962 at the Gardiner Community Church.

Later transferred to Port Hueneme, California, Marvin became a Seabee and trained before deployment to Okinawa. While he was overseas, his daughter, Barbara, was born in January 1964. In January 1965, Marvin deployed to Vietnam with Seabee Technical Assistance Team 1104. He was killed during the Battle of Dong Xoai on June 10, 1965, at age 25, giving his life while trying to save members of his team. His letters and diary reflected his compassion for his teammates and the local people he worked to help.

Marvin was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by President Lyndon Johnson on September 16, 1966, becoming the first Seabee and the first Navy serviceman to receive the nation’s highest military honor for actions in Vietnam. Numerous honors bear his name, including Camp Shields in Okinawa, Shields Hall at Puget Sound Naval Station, the Society of Military Engineers Shields Medal, and the Marvin Shields American Legion Post in Port Townsend.

Marvin lived a life defined by compassion and service. His actions in June 1965 reflected the way he lived every day—caring for others and always willing to help. His gravestone in Gardiner Cemetery bears the words, “He died as he lived, for his friends.”