Marvin Owen Etter

Marvin Owen Etter was born in Denver, Colorado to Owen and Lettie Etter on October 12, 1931. Lettie was rushed to a Denver hospital from their home in Otis, Colorado, because of complications with her pregnancy. While doctors worked to save Lettie’s life, one nurse concentrated on the premature infant, remarkably saving his life, as well. Lettie carried Marvin in a shoebox on the train ride home to Washington County, where his siblings Milton and Jewel waited to welcome their baby brother.

Growing up on the farm was hard work for long hours. The Etters raised cattle and grew wheat. They enjoyed the perks of community life in a small town. Marvin’s and Jeannine’s mothers were friends. At age 10 Marvin’s birthday celebration was combined with Jeannine’s, who was four years younger but shared the same birthday. Six years later Marvin and Jeannine became a couple, setting them up for 80 years of joint birthday celebrations.

Marvin graduated from Otis High School in 1950. The following year Marvin and his best friend Calvin McCaffrey decided it would be better to join the Air Force than to be drafted. Marvin and Jeannine were engaged before he left for boot camp. When Marvin showed up unexpectedly at Jeannine’s front door a few months later, her father reacted, “What are you doing here?” Marvin had been given two weeks leave in advance of deployment to Korea, where he would be assigned to the Air Force 4th Fighter Interceptor Wing.

It was decided that Marvin and Jeannine would get married before his deployment. The bride borrowed her sister’s wedding dress. The groom wore his uniform. The ceremony and celebration were held at her parents’ home on March 26, 1952. The couple was married for nine days, then separated for 14 months while Marvin was in East Asia.

Anyone who has ever talked to Marvin has heard his stories of Korea, where he began his career as an airplane mechanic. “Whenever my plane shot down a Mig, there was a case of beer waiting for me the next day.”

Marvin finished his Air Force commitment in Texas, where Jeannine joined him. The couple then returned to the Etter farm in Otis. They welcomed their first child, Pamela Jean, on December 26, 1954. Six months later the family moved to Denver.

After a brief stint as a mechanic for the airlines, Marvin landed a job with the Colorado Air National Guard 140th Wing at Buckley. It was at this point in time that Marvin became MOE, based on his initials on work orders.

MOE was a crew chief for the Minute Men, the Guard’s precision flying team. His pilot was John France, who would become the longest-serving adjutant general of Colorado. The Minute Men traveled throughout the United States and to five countries, performing intricate flying maneuvers for cheering crowds.

The Minute Men were the first and only federally recognized aerial demonstration team in the history of the Air National Guard. The team was disbanded in the late 1950’s. The Minute Men were inducted into the Air Force Hall of Fame at the Air Force Academy and are featured in a permanent display at Wings Over the Rockies, which MOE worked to set-up.

MOE’s Minute Men F-86F jet aircraft was displayed at the main entrance of Buckley Air National Guard base for decades. When Buckley became a full-fledged Air Force base (now Space Force), the plane was moved in front of the Air National Guard building, where it is still on display today. MOE was proud that grandson Tommy Accardi followed in his footsteps and is currently a member of the Colorado Air National Guard.

MOE could fix almost everything. He could take a bushel basket of seemingly random parts and turn it into a bicycle. He could put an engine on anything, including bicycles and go-carts (much to his daughters’ horror and delight respectively). More often than not his repair was effective, but rarely accomplished by conventional means; thereby coining the phrase MOE-rigged.

In 1961 MOE, Jeannine, and Pamie took a cross country trip from Colorado to Niagara Falls and back, stopping to visit friends and family on the way. While the family was on the road, a National Emergency was declared because of the Berlin Crisis. Marvin was recalled to active duty and had to report to Buckley, as soon as possible. The dash home to Colorado was in sharp contrast with the leisurely start of the vacation.

Within weeks the entire Colorado Air National Guard – pilots and flight crew – were stationed at George Air Force Base in Victorville, California. Everyone, including the Etters, packed up their families and moved temporarily to Apple Valley, home of Roy Rogers. When the crisis was averted, they returned home to Colorado with a soon to be revealed surprise -- Jeannine was pregnant. On February 12, 1963, the Etters’ second child, Tamara Jo (Tami), was born.

The Etters were often on the road.

• Visits to Black Hawk, where MOE’s mother Lettie and his sister Jewel’s family lived and to Boulder to visit his brother Milton and his family.

• Trips to Otis to visit MOE’s father and to enjoy the small-town celebrations, including the annual alumni dinner and Fourth of July picnic.

• Weekend visits to Cheyenne for a game of bridge with Air Force friends.

• A trip to Yellowstone, following a covered wagon - friends’ Volkswagen bus, which struggled up mountain passes while the Etters’ V8 coasted behind, pulling a pop-up camper.

• A California vacation – from the Redwoods in the north to San Diego in the south – with Jeannine’s parents and her sister’s family (six adults and five kids in two cars).

The Etter road trips were always fun. The family would play the license plate game. MOE would fart and knock on the window glass, laughing before rolling down his window to give his family much needed fresh air. The family would sing along with the radio or sing acapella as they travelled down the road. “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” was a favorite, as was “The Sound of Music.”

One memory stands out for Pam and Tami. The Etters were driving through a torrential downpour. The windshield wipers were flapping as fast as they could. They were unable to see from one white line to the next. Jeannine suggested stopping. MOE explained that would be more dangerous than continuing forward; at which point the family burst into song – “Put Your Hand in the Hand of the Man Who Stilled the Water,” singing until the rain stopped.

The Colorado Air National Guard was placed on active duty again in 1968, spending a year in Phan Rang, Vietnam. During this time MOE was awarded two Bronze Stars with Valor Insignia. M-Sgt. Etter was one of nine men from the 120th Tactical Fighter Wing who were awarded the Bronze Star for valor under enemy attack on May 28th. The nine men – with M-Sgt. Etter in charge – saved the other aircraft in the Wing from possible destruction. They moved two damaged planes which were burning away from the other aircraft, extinguished the flames, and defueled these aircraft to keep them from exploding.

On November 11, 1975, MOE was awarded The Denver Post Honor Award for Outstanding Achievement.

MOE spent 30 years at Buckley, traveling with the Guard to Turkey, Panama, and other exotic (and not so exotic) destinations, while Jeannine held things together on the home front. MOE retired from the Colorado Air National Guard as a Senior Master Sergeant. He then worked as a building maintenance engineer to pay for his retirement “toys” – their first brand new motorhome (The Etterprise) and a boat.

When retirement started for real, MOE and Jeannine spent six months of each year in Arizona, splitting the balance of their time between their condo in Denver, the 960 acres in Otis that MOE inherited when his father died, and traveling in their motorhome. The longest trip was from Nova Scotia to Florida, as part of a caravan of motorhomes filled with beloved cousins – Clinton and Helen Etter and Paul and Betty Hart.

The Etter family had grown, as Pam and Tami married and had children. MOE and Jeannine have four grandchildren – Tommy, Angie, Tony, and Taylor – and five great grandchildren – Dylan, Ben, Connor, Tess, and Gianna.

MOE loved sports – whether playing, participating as a spectator, or watching on TV. Marvin played basketball and football in high school. He pitched for the Colorado Air National Guard softball team. He golfed and competed in bowling leagues and horseshoe tournaments.

If MOE and Jeannine were in Denver, MOE was front and center cheering on his grandsons, all of whom excelled in their chosen sport. Tommy was a wrestler, Tony a pole vaulter, and Taylor a punter for the Colorado School of Mines. When asked what she had learned from her grandfather, Angie joked, “I learned how to watch multiple games simultaneously on television, while sleeping in a recliner.” Even in the weeks leading up to his death, MOE would call Tami, “What channel is the game on?”

MOE and Jeannine celebrated the milestone of their 70th wedding anniversary on March 26, 2022. Four generations enjoyed the celebration, reading notes from 56 cards sent by family and friends.

Marvin died on April 11 at the age of 90. He is preceded in death by his parents – Owen Etter and Lettie Gray, and his siblings – Milton Etter and Jewel Pipes. He is survived by his wife – Jeannine Etter; children – Pamela and Joe Drennan and Tamara and Thomas Accardi; grandchildren – Thomas and Rebecca Accardi, Angela and Aaron Johnston, Anthony and Elle Accardi, and Taylor Accardi; and great grandchildren – Dylan and Connor Johnston, Benjamin Accardi, and Teresa and Gianna Accardi.

In Lieu of flowers, please donate to Wings Over the Rockies. A link to give may be found below.