Love, World War II, and Arnold Air Force Base. Wayne and Marcene Amelang’s love story withstands the test of time.

Marcene Eaton met her future husband, Wayne Amelang, on January 31st, 1945. Marcene was living with her brother, Max, and then pregnant wife Donna in Ottumwa, Iowa.

Marcene had gone out for the evening to a USO Dance at the Naval Air Station. When she returned home, Wayne was there visiting with Max and Donna. Donna and Wayne were high school classmates, and he often came to visit his friend when he was home on leave. As Wayne was preparing to leave for the night, he asked Marcene to go out with him the next night.

Marcene agreed to the date, and the two went out for dinner at club nearby. ” It was like ‘Strangers in the Night.’ The waiter came and asked what we would like. Wayne looked at me and asked what I would like. I said a Coke. He then offered me a cigarette and I said, ‘I don’t drink or smoke.’ Wayne was amazed at that. We were dancing and getting acquainted and then decided to go to another club. As he parked the car and we were still talking, he asked me to marry him. I laughed. I thought he was kidding, but it hurt his feelings. Found out later that he wasn’t kidding. He wanted to get me a diamond and I said ‘No, I had one and it didn’t work out.’ I wasn’t going to have another until a wedding date was set.”

Wayne took Marcene home around midnight, where they found her brother Max and his wife, Donna, awake waiting for her labor pains to grow closer to leave for the hospital. When the time came, Wayne and Marcene followed the parents-to-be to the hospital, and stayed out until six in the morning waiting on what turned out to be Marcene’s niece.

After being awake all night, Wayne drove Marcene to her parent’s house, and met them. Wayne and her father talked while Marcene’s mother fixed breakfast. After work, Wayne took Marcene to work after a very long night.

Wayne had been in the Army Air Force for five years. He had been overseas and had not been home in three years. At this time, he only had three days remaining of his 30-day leave. His parents planned a special dinner for Wayne and invited the entire family. Marcene was lucky enough to meet all 20-25 family members at once.

On February 5th, Wayne left to return to the war. He was a Maintence Crew Chief on General Ira Eaker’s B-17. After writing and receiving many letters, and a few phone calls, Wayne got the opportunity to return home on April 9th, and presented Marcene with a beautiful diamond ring. “We started trying to decide when and where to get married, slept on the decision and decided; right now” Marcene and Wayne Amelang were married April 16th, 1945.

Since Wayne was in the Air Force, he and Marcene moved to Tullahoma in August of 1954, and Wayne was among one of the first batch of engineers at Arnold Air Force Base. Living here they raised a family of two kids, named Jerry and JoLynn, three grandchildren, named David, Jamie, and Mandy. Wayne and Marcene have a total of five great-grandchildren, named Ryan, Nick, Noah, Emily, and Sophie.

Wayne proposed to Marcene on their first date, and they were married just a few months later in 1945, giving birth to a baby girl in 1946. Life moved fast for Wayne and Marcene in the beginning, but they were together for a lifetime. Wayne has since passed (April 1st, 2008) and is survived by his lovely wife Marcene and their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Marcene, now 93, lives in Tullahoma, and loves to spend her time hanging out at the senior center, square-dancing with her son and his wife, and spending time with her family.