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Memorial for Maj. Gen. John Martin
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Born on Oct. 18, 1920
Died Nov. 15, 2009 and resided in San Antonio, TX.
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| Military Honors Service: |
Monday, Dec. 14, 2009
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| Funeral Home: |
Porter Loring Mortuary
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Major General John L. Martin, Jr., USAF (Ret.)
Oct. 18, 1920 – Nov. 15, 2009
Maj. Gen. John L. Martin, Jr. died in his sleep at age 89 on Nov. 15, 2009. He lived a full and happy life that included an impressive career and remarkable personal accomplishments. He was a Renaissance man and always a gentleman -- truly a rare gem.
Born and raised on a farm near Spartanburg, SC, he grew up with his eyes and ears tuned to every airplane that ever came near it. His father took him to see Charles Lindbergh when he came to town after making the world's first Trans-Atlantic flight, and "Lindy" became his hero. He was an avid builder of free-flight model airplanes and developed a driving ambition to be an airplane pilot. In 1932 he read about a new Army Air Corps pilot school in Texas named Randolph Field, and attending it became his goal. To meet the requirement of having some college education, he attended Clemson College, earned his Private Pilot license, and in 1940 enlisted in the Army Air Corps as a Flying Cadet. (He used part of his first paycheck to make a down-payment on a watch developed by Lindbergh to determine longitude, before radio and radar simplified navigation. It was big money in those days -- $75). After Primary flight training at Hicks Field, Basic at Randolph Field, and Advanced at Kelly Field, he graduated in Class 41-B and was commissioned Second Lieutenant as a flying instructor. In 1942 he was one of the instructors who supervised an overnight cross-country flight of a Cadet class to El Paso where -- at a dance held for the cadets -- it was love at first sight when he saw Elisabeth (Bettie) Blakemore. Six months later, after many week-end flights to El Paso, they were married and made their first home in San Antonio.
As he moved through promotions and assignments in various locations, he commanded a two-engine training squadron, went to the four-engine B-24, and then to the Boeing factory as the 444th Bomb Group's representative on testing of the new B-29 bomber. In April 1944 he began duty overseas as a B-29 pilot and combat crew commander in the 444th of the 58th Bomb Wing (the first B-29 unit to enter combat). He served concurrently as operations officer of the 677th Bomb Squadron. He flew 14 combat missions in the China-Burma-India theater and 30 trips across the Himalayas to stockpile fuel and bombs at a forward base in China. In March 1945 he returned to Randolph and served as a B-29 training group commander until the war ended.
His subsequent military career included earning a B.S. degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, serving in the 509th Bomb Group, and earning an M.S. degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was on the faculty of the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and then was the first Chief of the Flight Control Laboratory at Wright-Patt, developing new flight control systems, cockpit instruments and flight control techniques for high performance aircraft.
He served in the Pentagon as Deputy Director of Advanced Technology and in the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force as Deputy and then Director of Space Systems. He was promoted to Brigadier General and led a field office of the Secretary of the Air Force in El Segundo (CA) as Deputy and then Director of Special Projects. He was promoted to Major General with responsibility for development, testing, launch, and operations of satellite reconnaissance programs. He retired from the Air Force in 1970. He then worked at Communications Satellite Corporation in Washington, D.C., where he was responsible for technical and operational aspects of the COMSTAR, MARISAT and AEROSAT satellite communication programs. He retired again in 1981 as Senior Vice President of Engineering and Operations, COMSAT General Corp.
Gen. Martin held Command Pilot and Master Missileman ratings. His career flying experience totaled over 5000 hours as pilot of many types of aircraft, including lightweight trainers, heavy propeller-driven bombers, and a supersonic fighter flying at more than twice the speed of sound. His military decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters. After his second retirement, he completed building an experimental airplane based on a design by aeronautical pioneer Burt Rutan and won many awards. He and his wife enjoyed flying around the country, and traveled internationally. He pursued other passions as well, including golf, photography, science and astronomy.
In 1989 the Martins moved from the Washington, D.C. area to San Antonio, where their married life had begun many years earlier. When his beloved wife Bettie developed Alzheimer's Disease, he cared for her with tender love and devotion for 10 years until her passing in 2008. His memory is cherished by his son John, daughter Teri, granddaughter Melissa, and many friends and relatives, including his brother Lt. Gen. Abner B. Martin (USAF Ret.).
Military Honors will be presented on Monday, Dec. 14, at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery (San Antonio) at 2:30 p.m., immediately followed by a reception in the nearby Towers retirement community. In lieu of flowers, the family appreciates contributions to the Alzheimer's Association, which Gen. Martin supported in memory of his wife Bettie.
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