Harry L. Martin
Harry Linn Martin | |
|---|---|
5th Marine Division | |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Medal of Honor Purple Heart |
Biography
Harry Linn Martin was a member of the Ohio
On August 25, 1943, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the
Second Lieutenant Martin went overseas with his unit in the summer of 1944 and went into training at Hawaii. On February 19, 1945, he landed on Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands and before the day ended he had already sustained a slight wound. He was promoted to first lieutenant on March 1, 1945, twenty-five days before his death.
A few minutes before dawn on the morning of March 26, the day the Iwo campaign officially closed, the Japanese launched a concentrated attack and penetrated the Marine lines in the area where 1st Lt Martin's platoon was bivouacked. He immediately organized a firing line among the men in the foxholes closest to his own, and temporarily stopped the headlong rush of the enemy. Several of his men were lying wounded in positions overrun by the enemy and the lieutenant was determined to rescue them. In the action which followed, he was severely wounded twice but continued to resist the enemy until he fell mortally wounded by a grenade.
The Medal of Honor and citation were presented to his parents by
First Lieutenant Martin was buried in the 5th Division Cemetery at Iwo Jima. At the request of his mother, his remains were returned to Ohio in 1948 for private burial in Oakwood Cemetery, Bucyrus, Ohio.
Medal of Honor citation
The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS RESERVE
for service as set forth in the following CITATION:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Platoon Leader attached to Company C, Fifth Pioneer Battalion, Fifth Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima,
hand grenades, First Lieutenant Martin alone and armed only with a pistol, boldly charged the hostile position and killed all its occupants. Realizing that his remaining comrades could not repulse another organized attack, he called to his men to follow and then charged into the midst of the strong enemy force, firing his weapon and scattering them until he fell, mortally wounded by a grenade. By his outstanding valor, indomitable fighting spirit and tenacious determination in the face of overwhelming odds, First Lieutenant Martin permanently disrupted a coordinated Japanese attack and prevented a greater loss of life in his own and adjacent platoons and his inspiring leadership and unswerving devotion to duty reflect the highest credit upon himself and the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life in service of his country.
/S/ HARRY S. TRUMAN
Honors
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The United States Navy Maritime prepositioning ship USNS 1st Lt. Harry L. Martin (T-AK-3015), is named in his honor.[1]
See also
- List of Medal of Honor recipients for World War II
- List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Battle of Iwo Jima
Notes
- ^ ""Navy Ship named for Marine Corps Hero", Press release MSC PAO 00-06". Military Sealift Command, U.S. Navy. June 2, 2000. Retrieved April 23, 2006.
References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.
- "First Lieutenant Harry Linn Marti, USMCR, Who's Who in Marine Corps History, History Division, United States Marine Corps". Archived from the original on February 5, 2012. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
- "Medal of Honor citation". Archived from the original on July 13, 2007. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
External links
- "Harry L. Martin". Claim to Fame: Medal of Honor recipients. Find a Grave. Retrieved 2008-02-02.