Marvin John Siebold, born on Nov. 18, 1925, is the son of Henry and Kathy Siebold, who owned a farm in River Falls. Like many families during the Great Depression, his family lost their farm and he and his parents, along with his brother Marshall, moved to Prescott, a small town at the confluence of the Mississippi and St. Croix rivers.

He attended school in Prescott and took on jobs during high school to help support the family. These jobs included work at a local meat packing plant and also as a projectionist at the local movie theater. With America’s entry into WWII, he dropped out of high school in his senior year at the age of 17 and entered the service.

He enlisted with the Merchant Marines. Basic training took place at Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn. Completing his training in 1944, he was sent to Philadelphia to board a ship as part of a convoy headed to the Mediterranean Sea. His ship headed to the Port of Naples, Italy, where supplies were delivered to support both the Anzio and Monte Casino war campaign. His service travels also took him to Algiers and Morocco to pick up troops and bring them to Italy.

In total, Marvin participated in eight round-trip convoys in the North Atlantic to supply the US troops. The convoys were often in extreme danger on the sea facing roving packs of German U-boats. On one trip, his convoy was attacked as it landed in Antwerp, Belgium during the infamous “Battle of the Bulge.” He recently received his Congressional Medal of Honor in recognition of his wartime service.

The Merchant Marines offered Marvin an opportunity to develop skills and knowledge in electronics. He took every opportunity to visit with the ship radio personnel and enrolled in correspondence courses in radio repair. He learned the Morse code and the use of signal flags. This interest in radio communications would benefit him once he left the service.

Being on a ship provided him with opportunities for shore leave. A frequent stop was New York City. On one occasion, he went to a roller rink and noticed a young lady sitting by herself, so he asked her to skate. She was hesitant at first, not being a good skater, but that first time around the rink led to future dates during his shore leaves. In 1948, John and Miss Jeanette Douglas were married.

Jeanette was living in the Bronx while they were dating but after marrying, they moved to the small town of Hampton Bays on the East End of Long Island where Marvin had secured work as a projectionist at the local movie theater. Jean also gained employment selling tickets and popcorn - a great start for the newlyweds. During the season, John supplemented their income working as a bayman.

They rented a small house in town and Marvin continued taking courses in radio repair as well as for a recent invention – the television. In 1950, Marvin opened his own business as a radio and television repairman and antenna installer. His successful business, Johnny’s TV, lasted 47 years until his retirement in 1992.

Marvin and Jean raised six children, two boys and four girls, and enjoyed over 60 years of marriage. He lost his beloved wife in 2008 and still thinks of her daily. He now enjoys the company of his children as well as nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

He loves many sports, but his passion has always been Surf Fishing throughout the East Coast. He received numerous fishing trophies including a 27-pound striped bass in 2014. He now enjoys the company and stories of his fishing friends and shares his surf casting skills and knowledge, but not the location of his fishing holes.

In addition to fishing he was a successful bowler, with a team sponsored by his business. The team played at Westhampton Bowl and would frequently have success in the final year’s standings. Never forgetting the farming culture of his youth, he enjoyed vegetable and flower gardening.

He was very active in his local parish of St. Rosalie’s as a member of the Holy Name Society and a Church Trustee for over 25 years. He is a familiar face to many, having served as the head usher for mass every Sunday for decades.

Although his fishing days are over, he still enjoys a ride down to the beach to see what’s being caught. His favorite fish are bluefish, striped bass, and snappers. He is fortunate to live in his home of over 60 years in Hampton Bays and enjoys sitting and enjoying the sights and sounds of nature in his backyard. Additionally, he looks forward to the frequent visits of his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.