| Joe P. Martinez | |
|---|---|
| Private Joe P. Martinez, Medal of Honor recipient |
|
| Born | July 27, 1920 Taos, New Mexico |
| Died | May 26, 1943 (aged 22) Attu, Aleutian Islands |
| Place of burial | Ault Cemetery, Ault Colorado |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1942-1943 |
| Rank | Private |
| Unit | Company K, 32d Infantry, 7th Infantry Division |
| Battles/wars | World War II *Battle of the Aleutian Islands |
| Awards | Medal of Honor Purple Heart |
Private Joe P. Martinez (July 27, 1920–May 26, 1943) born in Taos, New Mexico, was a United States Army soldier who posthumously received the Medal of Honor — the United States' highest military decoration —- for his actions on the Aleutian Islands during World War II. Private Joseph P. Martinez was the first Hispanic-American and first Coloradan[1] to receive the Medal of Honor during World War II. His posthumous award was the first act for combat heroism on American soil (other than the 15 at Pearl Harbor) since the Indian Wars.[2]
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Martinez, whose birth name was Joseph Pantillion Martinez, was one of nine children born to Jose Manuel Martinez and Maria Eduvigen Romo, both who were natives of New Mexico. In 1927, his father, who was an agricultural laborer, decided to move from Taos, New Mexico to Ault, Colorado. There Martinez received his primary and secondary education. On August 1942, he was drafted into the United States Army and sent to Camp Roberts, California where he received his basic training.[3]
On June 6, 1942, Japanese forces invaded the island of Kiska and on June 7, the island of Attu. These islands are the western most island on the Aleutian chain and are part of Alaska. The U.S. feared that the islands would be used as bases from which to launch aerial assaults against the West Coast, and it became a matter of national pride to expel the first invaders to set foot on American soil since the War of 1812.
After Martinez completed his basic training, he was assigned to Company K, 32d Infantry, 7th Infantry Division. The 7th Infantry Division landed at Holtz Bay, Attu. On May 26, 1943, 32nd Infantry Regiment was engaged in combat in the vicinity of Fish Hook Ridge against enemy troops. The regiment was pinned down by enemy fire and Martinez on his own account led two assaults. He fired rifle into the Japanese foxholes and the men of his unit followed. Martinez was shot in the head as he approached one final foxhole after the second assault, dying of the wound the following day. Martinez was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
Private Martinez was the first Hispanic-American recipient who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for combat heroism on American soil during World War II.[4]
Martinez was buried with full military honors at Ault Cemetery, Ault, Weld County in Colorado. On April 13, 1945, the United States Navy named one of its ships, which served as a troop transport during the Korean War, the USNS Private Joe P. Martinez. The state of Colorado has honored his memory by naming a street and renaming a former base reception center and early officer's club which currently serves as the service center after him. The government named a Disabled American Veterans chapter in Colorado and an American Legion post in California in his honor. Three statues were erected with his likeness and are located in the Colorado cities of Ault, Greeley and Denver. The U.S. Army also named an Army Reserve military installation in Denver, Colorado after Martinez.[6] The 7th Infantry Division honored him by naming the Fort Ord Welcome Center (originally the Post Headquarters built in 1941)Martinez Hall in 1977. Although Fort Ord closed in 1993, Martinez Hall still serves as a Veterans Transition Service Center.
Among Private Joe P. Martinez' decorations and medals were the following:
| Medal of Honor | ||
| Purple Heart | American Campaign Medal | World War II Victory Medal |