About Us
get to know us
Passionate Military Collector and Student of History
Col. Marion W. Liles, U.S. Army (Ret.), is passionate about the items he buys and sells as the owner of Military Collector Services. Based on more than 35 years as a collector himself, his love of history is evident in every item he encounters. He sees each artifact as a piece of history.
To share your knowledge and collection with us, contact Military Collector Services today.
U.S. Army Veteran and Collector
Marion’s father was a WWII veteran who served with the 34th Infantry Regiment’s in the Pacific Theater of Operations. He was badly wounded on Biak Island in 1944, and was totally disabled as a result these wounds. He died in 1960, at the VA Hospital in Kansas City, MO.
Inspired by his father’s courage and service, Marion developed a lifelong interest in World War II and the artifacts that returning GIs brought home.
Marion’s military career began in 1977 when he was the first commissioned officer of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program at Missouri Southern State College. He was commissioned as an Army Infantry Second Lieutenant. Marion served a total of 28 years of reserve and active duty.
Highlights of his military career include:
- Assistant Professor of Military Science, Pittsburg State University
- Inspector General, Fort McCoy, Wisconsin
- Mobilization Officer, U.S. Army Reserve Command, Fort McPherson, Georgia
- Graduate of the Army War College
- Deputy Commander, 7th Army Reserve Command, Schwetzingen, Germany
Marion retired from active duty in 2005. He later spent three years as an exercise planner for U.S. Army Europe in Heidelberg, Germany.
He married Martha Jane House in 1980. They have two children, Maximillian and Melanie.
Marion returned to Southwest Missouri in 2010 to help his son establish Liles Performance & Auto Body, a classic MOPAR restoration service. In 2013, Marion started Military Collector Services, a retail military collectibles store in Webb City, MO.
Marion has traveled the world to bring you the best vintage military collectibles available.
To constantly monitor the pulse of the hobby and keep up on trends we attend a large number of Militaria and Arms shows. Some of the shows we attend include the largest military show in the world, the Ohio Valley Military Society, Show of Shows at the Kentucky State Fairgrounds, the MAX Military Show at the Monroeville PA, Mall and the massive 4,000 table Wannamacher’s Arms Show at Tulsa Oklahoma Fair Grounds. We are a member of the Wehrmacht Awards Forum, the American Society of American Insignia Collectors ASMIC, and a Life Member of the Ohio Valley Military Society.
Martha Jane Liles
Martha Liles assists her husband’s efforts at Military Collector Services by serving as the staff accountant and performing restoration services on cloth items.
Her father was a career U.S. Air Force NCO who retired after 23 years of active duty. Martha moved around with her family and attended nine different schools before graduating from Webb City High School in 1974. She attended Missouri Southern State College, where she earned degrees in accounting and business administration.
Martha’s other work experience includes:
- More than 20 years with the City of Joplin Finance Department
- Analyst for the U.S. Army’s 266th Finance Command in Germany
- City Clerk for the village Airport Drive Village
Since retiring permanently in 2015, Martha enjoys caring for her four grandchildren. In addition to all of her family responsibilities, Martha enjoys sewing and quilting.
Visit Today
Store Hours
M-T: By Appointment Only
W-Sat: 10am - 5pm
Sun: Closed