OTA Robert L. Martin

First Lieutenant Robert L. Martin was born in Dubuque Iowa. He joined the Army Air Corps at Tuskegee in 1944. He carried out 63 ½ combat missions with the 100th Fighter Squadron and the 332nd Fighter Group. On March 3 1945, he was cut down by ground fire following his attack mission on an enemy airfield in Zagreb,Yugoslavia. His plane on fire, he was forced to bail-out over enemy held territory. Rescued and helped by allied sympathizer, he succeeded in escaping capture. He remained in Yugoslavia for 5 weeks until he was sucessful in returning to Italy first by truck and then by airplane. For his combat service Lt Martin received: The Distinguished Flying Cross; The Air Medal with 6 Oak leaf clusters and The Purple Heart.