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Contact Info
Home Town Tome, New Mexico
Last Address New Mexico
Date of Passing Dec 30, 2011
Location of Interment Santa Fe National Cemetery (VA) - Santa Fe, New Mexico
Throughout his 33-year career, Marquez is credited with revolutionizing the maintenance and logistics career field.
Today, an Air Force award bears his name. The Lieutenant General Leo Marquez Award recognizes military and civil service aircraft, munitions and missile maintenance personnel who perform hands-on maintenance or manage a maintenance function.
"He is and will always be an icon in the maintenance and logistics community because of his ability to see the problem and cut right to the issue," said Lindsley, a Lieutenant General Leo Marquez Award recipient. "He's responsible for the Air Force Combat Ammunition Center, our world-class munitions school known as "Ammo U", and had a hand in the very badge maintainers wear above their left pocket. We have an award named after him that is coveted by maintainers at all levels. His is a lasting legacy and a reminder of the difference one person can make."
He was selected as Air Force Logistics Command Systems Manager of the year in 1974. In 1977, Marquez was the recipient of the Air Force Association's Executive Management Award. In 2003 he was awarded the Logistics Officer Association Lifetime Achievement Award.
Upon his retirement from the Air Force, Marquez stayed active in New Mexico military affairs, serving on the Kirtland Partnership Committee and the New Mexico Military Base Planning Commission.
He is survived by his wife, Stella, five children and three grandchildren.
Aircraft/Missile Information
The supersonic Bomarc missiles (IM-99A and IM-99B) were the world's first long-range anti-aircraft missiles, and the first missiles that Boeing mass produced. The program also represented the first time Boeing designed and built launch facilities. It used analog computers, some of which were built by Boeing and had been developed for GAPA experiments during World War II.
Authorized by the Air Force in 1949, the F-99 Bomarc prototype was the result of coordinated research between Boeing (Bo) and the University of Michigan Aeronautical Research Center (marc).
The missiles were housed on a constant combat-ready basis in individual launch shelters in remote areas. The alert signal could fire the missiles around the country in 30 seconds. The Model A had a range of 200 miles, and the B, which followed, could fly 400 miles.
The production IM-99A first flew on Feb. 24, 1955. Boeing built 700 Bomarc missiles between 1957 and 1964, as well as 420 launch systems. Bomarc was retired from active service during the early 1970s. Specifications First flight: Feb. 24, 1955 Military designation: IM-99A/IM-99B Classification: Missile Wingspan: 18 feet 2 inches Diameter: 35 inches Length: 45 feet Approx. takeoff weight: 16,000 pounds Top speed: More than Mach 2.5 Range: More than 400 miles (IM-99B) Ceiling: More than 80,000 feet Power: 50,000-pound-thrust solid-fuel rocket (takeoff); two 12,000-pound-thrust Marquardt ramjet engines (cruise) Armament: Nuclear warhead