Allegiance American Rank First Lieutenant | Service/branch Air Force Unit 100th Fighter Squadron | |
Awards Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with 6 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Purple Heart | ||
First Lieutenant Robert L. Martin was a Tuskegee Airman active during World War II.
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Early life
Robert Martin was born in Dubuque, Iowa. While as a student at Iowa State University, Martin learned to fly in a civilian pilot training program.
Tuskegee
On January 7, 1944, at the age of 23, Martin graduated from flight training at the Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama. He was a member of the 100th Fighter Squadron and the 332nd Fighter Group. Martin explained that Tuskegee was "segregated where they wanted it," meaning students, ground crews, mechanics, medics and quartermasters were all black. Senior personnel instructors were all white, and acted almost like "gods." Shortly after completing his training Martin was deployed to Italy. He likes to say he flew "63 and a half" combat missions during World War II.
On December 9, 1944, Martin was returning to base from an escort mission when his P-51 Mustang suffered engine trouble. He was forced to land at a gunnery range Cuetelo, Italy. As the plane fell over the rough ground, the propeller was damaged. Martin was able to walk away from the crash landing.
In March 1945, in what would've been his 64th mission, Martin was "cut down by ground fire" after an attack mission on an enemy airfield in Zagreb, Yugoslavia. In his own words, Martin explained that seven other pilots and himself were attempting to shoot two airplanes parked a little bit off a field. They missed their target, and were blown off course by 100 mph winds. Martin felt a bump in his airplane and realized he had been hit. The engine caught on fire and Martin was forced to bail. When his parachute opened it cut him on the chin and knocked him out. Martin found shelter in a farmhouse. He was eventually rescued and taken into the headquarters of Marshal Josip Broz Tito's Partisans, and hidden until he could safely return to his unit. He remained there for about five weeks.
Lt. Martin earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, The Air Medal with 6 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Purple Heart.
After the war
In 1945, Martin returned to the U.S. after Victory in Europe Day. He looked for electrical engineering jobs, but had a difficult time finding any. At the time people weren't hiring black engineers. Martin held a variety of jobs including driving a taxi and working in factories. He was hired as a draftsman by the Chicago Park District, and went on to work as an electrical engineer for the city of Chicago. Martin retired after 37 years.