Martin, John W “Johnny”.

Martin, John W “Johnny” born 12-03-1922, in Columbus, Ohio  He was a railroad worker for most of his early life  and enlisted in the Army at Columbus, and volunteered for the Paratroopers. Martin was assigned to Easy Company of the 101 Airborne Division, .under command of General Robert Sink. He married a girl named Pat. William “Wild Bill”  Guarnere, fellow Easy Company soldier and a good friend of Martin, was his best man. Guarnere in his biography ‘Brothers in Battle, Best of Friends’, describes Martin as ‘a loner’ ‘who didn’t get along with others’ and ‘a goldbrick (but not when it came to combat)’. He was called the Scrounger because ‘he could get out of doing anything’ and could do anything to get what he wanted. Martin made his first combat jump into Normandy  as part of Operation Overlord. He survived the campaign, but was shaken. The first night back from Normandy, Martin noticed that half of the first platoon was gone. He thought he might never be able to return home. So when he got his leave to Scotland with Guarnere, he got his tattoos.

Martin also fought in Operation Market Garden. While Easy Company was taking a frontal assault in Neunen, Martin spot a German tank hiding in a hedgerow, waiting to shoot the British tanks. Martin ran over to warn the tank driver, but the tank was destroyed eventually.[6] Martin would also fight in the Battle of the Bulge in Bastogne. While occupying the town of Hagenau, Roy W Cobb, who was drunken was causing trouble, and Martin had to pull his gun in trying to stop him.

Martin continued to serve in the army in occupying Germany and Austria. He was unhappy that he got no promotion, and he decided to let the medics know that a trick cartilage in his knee that incapacitated him for combat. He was discharged early for medical reasons. Roy Cobb survived the war and moved to Niagara, New York and lived most of his life there, until his death in January of 1991, age 75.

Death and burial ground of Martin, John W “Johnny”.

After the war, Martin attended the Ohio State University and returned to his railroad job upon graduation. He then moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where he started his home building business apartments. His business was successful and he became a millionaire. Martin died on 26-01-2005, age 82, in Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona and is buried at National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona, Section 60 Site 22

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