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MG Frederick Leroy Martin

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MG Frederick Leroy Martin

Birth
Liberty, Union County, Indiana, USA
Death
23 Feb 1954 (aged 77)
Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, USA
Burial
Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA Add to Map
Plot
Section 2, Site 4904-2.
Memorial ID
View Source
He was the son of John C. Martin and Nancy Abernathy Martin.
In August 1912, he married Grace Margaret Griffith at the home of the bride's mother, Mrs. Mary Fox Griffith at Port Townsend, Washington.
They were the parents of one child.

The New York Times February 26, 1954
Gen. F.L. Martin, Air Leader, Dead
Chief at Hickam Field When Japanese Attacked
Headed First Round World Flight
Los Angeles, February 25. Major General Frederick L. Martin, who was in command of Hickam Field in Hawaii when the Japanese attacked on December 7, 1941 died last night in West Los Angeles Veterans Center Hospital. He was 71 years old. General Martin, who was the Commander of the first round the world trip in 1924 took off from Clover Field at near by Santa Monica on March 24, 1924 in a Douglas world cruiser, a three ton biplane powered with Liberty engines accompanied by Sergeant Alva Harvey. The plane Seattle was the flagship of the four plane flight. It crashed in Alaska, but the crew was rescued and the flight continued. On September 23, 1924 six months after the take off three planes and a crew of six again landed in Santa Monica. General Martin was born in Liberty, Indiana and joined the Coast Artillery in 1908 after having been graduated from Purdue University. He leaves his wife, Mrs. Grace Martin and a son, Colonel John R. Martin, United States Air Force of Baltimore.

Won D.S.C. in Peacetime
General Martin was one of the first men to receive the Distinguished Service Cross for military services performed in peacetime. Yet it was the curse of his long military career that he failed in the two great opportunities that came to him. He received the medal, usually reserved for wartime exploits by special act of Congress for organizing and commanding the initial stages of the first successful flight around the world. The flight was also the first to successfully cross the Pacific Ocean, but the then Major Martin never got that far. His plane was forced down at Portage Bay on April 15, 1924 less than a month after the take off of the flight of four biplanes from California. Ten days later after extensive repairs he took off in an effort to catch up with the rest of the flight. But on April 30 his plane was lost between Chignik and Dutch Harbor in southwest Alaska.

Did Not Rejoin Flight
When he and the Sergeant who was with him were rescued two weeks later the flight had reached Attu. Major Martin returned to Washington where another plane was to be fitted out to enable him to rejoin the flight in either Asia or Europe. But at his own request he was relieved of the command. Lieutenant Lowell H. Smith commanded the flight for the remainder of its journey around the world. General Martin's second tragic failure came at Hickam Field in the Hawaiian Islands on December 7, 1941. In October of the year before he had been assigned to lead the Hawaiian Air Force Command. In the debacle of unpreparedness that occurred at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack General Martin was one of the three men who bore the brunt of the blame. The others were Admiral Husband E. Kimmel, Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet and Lieutenant General Walter C. Short, Commander of the Hawaiian Department of the Army.

There were demands from Congress that he and the other two officers be court martialed and eleven days after the attack all three were relieved of their commands. The next month he was named to command the Second Air Force in charge of the defense of the northwestern sector of the United States. His headquarters were at Fort George Wright, Spokane.
He was the son of John C. Martin and Nancy Abernathy Martin.
In August 1912, he married Grace Margaret Griffith at the home of the bride's mother, Mrs. Mary Fox Griffith at Port Townsend, Washington.
They were the parents of one child.

The New York Times February 26, 1954
Gen. F.L. Martin, Air Leader, Dead
Chief at Hickam Field When Japanese Attacked
Headed First Round World Flight
Los Angeles, February 25. Major General Frederick L. Martin, who was in command of Hickam Field in Hawaii when the Japanese attacked on December 7, 1941 died last night in West Los Angeles Veterans Center Hospital. He was 71 years old. General Martin, who was the Commander of the first round the world trip in 1924 took off from Clover Field at near by Santa Monica on March 24, 1924 in a Douglas world cruiser, a three ton biplane powered with Liberty engines accompanied by Sergeant Alva Harvey. The plane Seattle was the flagship of the four plane flight. It crashed in Alaska, but the crew was rescued and the flight continued. On September 23, 1924 six months after the take off three planes and a crew of six again landed in Santa Monica. General Martin was born in Liberty, Indiana and joined the Coast Artillery in 1908 after having been graduated from Purdue University. He leaves his wife, Mrs. Grace Martin and a son, Colonel John R. Martin, United States Air Force of Baltimore.

Won D.S.C. in Peacetime
General Martin was one of the first men to receive the Distinguished Service Cross for military services performed in peacetime. Yet it was the curse of his long military career that he failed in the two great opportunities that came to him. He received the medal, usually reserved for wartime exploits by special act of Congress for organizing and commanding the initial stages of the first successful flight around the world. The flight was also the first to successfully cross the Pacific Ocean, but the then Major Martin never got that far. His plane was forced down at Portage Bay on April 15, 1924 less than a month after the take off of the flight of four biplanes from California. Ten days later after extensive repairs he took off in an effort to catch up with the rest of the flight. But on April 30 his plane was lost between Chignik and Dutch Harbor in southwest Alaska.

Did Not Rejoin Flight
When he and the Sergeant who was with him were rescued two weeks later the flight had reached Attu. Major Martin returned to Washington where another plane was to be fitted out to enable him to rejoin the flight in either Asia or Europe. But at his own request he was relieved of the command. Lieutenant Lowell H. Smith commanded the flight for the remainder of its journey around the world. General Martin's second tragic failure came at Hickam Field in the Hawaiian Islands on December 7, 1941. In October of the year before he had been assigned to lead the Hawaiian Air Force Command. In the debacle of unpreparedness that occurred at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack General Martin was one of the three men who bore the brunt of the blame. The others were Admiral Husband E. Kimmel, Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet and Lieutenant General Walter C. Short, Commander of the Hawaiian Department of the Army.

There were demands from Congress that he and the other two officers be court martialed and eleven days after the attack all three were relieved of their commands. The next month he was named to command the Second Air Force in charge of the defense of the northwestern sector of the United States. His headquarters were at Fort George Wright, Spokane.


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  • Created by: SLGMSD
  • Added: Jul 16, 2009
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/39505209/frederick_leroy-martin: accessed ), memorial page for MG Frederick Leroy Martin (26 Nov 1876–23 Feb 1954), Find a Grave Memorial ID 39505209, citing Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA; Maintained by SLGMSD (contributor 46825959).