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| Private Joe Martinez, 7th Infantry Division, earned the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Attu. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7118977/joe-p_-martinez https://www.nps.gov/subjects/worldwarii/alaskaandaleutians.htm |
Joe P. Martinez never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
Thank you Private Martinez for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for Joe.
Joe was born on July 27, 1920 in Taos, New Mexico. His parents Celedon and Maria were also both born in New Mexico. His father worked as a farmer. Joe had four older brothers, one older sister and one younger sister. The family moved to Colorado in 1927. By 1940 Joe had completed eight years of education and was working as a farm laborer.
He was drafted into the army in August 1942. He became a private in Company K, 3rd Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division.
On May 11, 1943, the 7th ID landed on the Alaskan island of Attu to dislodge Japanese troops that had been there since the previous June. Despite poor weather and inexperienced troops, the Americans managed to overcome stiff resistance for the rest of the month. After two weeks of fighting Pvt. Martinez's unit found itself pinned down by enemy machine fire near Fish Hook Ridge. The enemy had the high ground and heavy snow made advancing difficult. Nevertheless, Private Martinez took the initiative to dislodge the enemy at the cost of his life. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
The fighting on Attu would continue until May 30 and cost 549 American lives.
His Medal of Honor citation reads as follows:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy. Over a period of several days, repeated efforts to drive the enemy from a key defensive position high in the snow-covered precipitous mountains between East Arm Holtz Bay and Chichagof Harbor had failed.
On 26 May 1943, troop dispositions were readjusted and a trial coordinated attack on this position by a reinforced battalion was launched. Initially successful, the attack hesitated. In the face of severe hostile machine gun, rifle, and mortar fire, Pvt. Martinez, an automatic rifleman, rose to his feet and resumed his advance. Occasionally he stopped to urge his comrades on. His example inspired others to follow. After a most difficult climb, Pvt. Martinez eliminated resistance from part of the enemy position by BAR fire and hand grenades, thus assisting the advance of other attacking elements. This success only partially completed the action.
The main Holtz-Chichagof Pass rose about 150 feet higher, flanked by steep rocky ridges and reached by a snow-filled defile. Passage was barred by enemy fire from either flank and from tiers of snow trenches in front. Despite these obstacles, and knowing of their existence, Pvt. Martinez again led the troops on and up, personally silencing several trenches with BAR fire and ultimately reaching the pass itself. Here, just below the knifelike rim of the pass, Pvt. Martinez encountered a final enemy-occupied trench and as he was engaged in firing into it he was mortally wounded. The pass, however, was taken, and its capture was an important preliminary to the end of organized hostileresistance.
His grave is at Ault Cemetery in Ault, Colorado.
The Navy troop transport Private Joe P. Martinez, active during the Korean War, was named in his honor.
As a Medal of Honor hero Private Martinez has a detailed Wikipedia page.
This is one of the final 50 stories to be written as part of this project which ends on September 2, 2020, the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. At that time more than 1,370 men and women will have been profiled. The project will live on in an expanded program to write the stories of all 400,000+ US World War II fallen. Visit www.storiesbehindthestars.org to learn more. We welcome your continued support and interest and encourage you to help write some of these stories.
This is one of the final 50 stories (41) to be written as part of this project which ends on September 2, 2020, the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. At that time more than 1,370 men and women will have been profiled. The project will live on in an expanded program to write the stories of all 400,000+ US World War II fallen. Visit www.storiesbehindthestars.org to learn more. We welcome your continued support and interest and encourage you to help write some of these stories.
This is one of the final 50 stories (41) to be written as part of this project which ends on September 2, 2020, the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. At that time more than 1,370 men and women will have been profiled. The project will live on in an expanded program to write the stories of all 400,000+ US World War II fallen. Visit www.storiesbehindthestars.org to learn more. We welcome your continued support and interest and encourage you to help write some of these stories.
Last year on this date I profiled Battle of the Bulge fallen Karl Elvegaard, 99th Infantry Division. You can read about Karl here.
On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!
I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100
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