Frederick Leroy Martin (November 22, 1882 – February 23, 1954) was an American airman best known as the first commander of the US Army Air Service's
first aerial circumnavigation
The first aerial circumnavigation of the world was completed in 1924 by four aviators from an eight-man team of the United States Army Air Service, the precursor of the United States Air Force. The 175-day journey from April to September covered ...
of the world in 1924 and as the commander of US Army Air Forces during the
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Empire of Japan on the United States Pacific Fleet at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, its naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Territory of ...
. Martin, a major at the time, commanded the circumnavigation and piloted the
Douglas World Cruiser ''Seattle'', until he crashed in a remote portion of the Alaskan Aleutian Peninsula, after which he relinquished command to Lt
Lowell Smith. Martin received the
Distinguished Service Medal for his part in the circumnavigation. By the beginning of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Martin had been promoted to major general and assigned to command the
Hawaiian Air Force of two Wings (
18th Bombardment Wing at
Hickam Field Hickam may refer to:
;Surname
* Homer Hickam (born 1943), American author, Vietnam veteran, and a former NASA engineer
**'' October Sky: The Homer Hickam Story'', 1999 American biographical film
* Horace Meek Hickam (1885–1934), pioneer airpower ...
and
14th Pursuit Wing at
Wheeler Field
Wheeler Army Airfield , also known as Wheeler Field and formerly as Wheeler Air Force Base, is a United States Army post located in the City & County of Honolulu and in the Wahiawa District of the Island of O'ahu, Hawaii. It is a National H ...
) and outlying airfields at
Bellows Field and
Haleiwa Fighter Strip
Haleiwa Fighter Strip was a military airfield on Oahu, Hawaii. It was used as part of the island's defense in World War II.
History
This obscure former military strip became famous during the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.
Originally ...
. Martin was temporarily relieved of command after the attack on Pearl Harbor, but was exonerated by the presidential
Roberts Commission
The Roberts Commission is one of two presidentially-appointed commissions. One related to the circumstances of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and another related to the protection of cultural resources during and after World War II. Both were ...
and given a new command.
Early life
Martin was born November 22, 1882, to the farming family of John and Nancy Martin in
Liberty, Indiana
Liberty is a town in and the county seat of Union County, Indiana, United States, located about west of the state's border with Ohio. The population was 2,000 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census.
History
The Liberty post office has b ...
. In 1904, he enrolled in the
Purdue University
Purdue University is a Public university#United States, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded ...
school of Mechanical Engineering. He was active in the predecessor program to the
Reserve Officer Training Corps
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC; or ) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces.
While ROTC graduate officers serve in all branches o ...
, with his yearbook photo caption calling him "possessed with the idea that he must become a soldier." He commissioned as a Second Lieutenant of Coast Artillery in 1908, and reported to the remote
Fort Flagler
Fort Flagler Historical State Park is a public recreation area that occupies the site of Fort Flagler, a former United States Army fort at the northern end of Marrowstone Island in Washington. The state park occupies south of the entrance to ...
in Washington State, guarding the entrance to the Puget Sound.
During his time at Fort Flagler, he married Grace Margaret Griffiths, of
Port Townsend, Washington
Port Townsend is a city on the Quimper Peninsula in Jefferson County, Washington, United States. The population was 10,148 at the 2020 United States Census. It is the county seat and only incorporated city of Jefferson County.
In addition ...
. In 1916, they had a child, John R. Martin, who eventually became a colonel in the United States Air Force and shares a tombstone with his father in
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia.
...
.
Aviator
In 1917, now Major Martin transferred to the Aviation division of the Signal Corps. Though he deployed to Europe with the Aviation division during
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, he was not yet trained as a pilot, and spent the war working in supply and logistics. Upon his return from Europe, Martin trained as a flier in 1920 and began a series of assignments in flight and technical training.

In 1923, Major Martin was selected to command the US Army Air Service's
first aerial circumnavigation
The first aerial circumnavigation of the world was completed in 1924 by four aviators from an eight-man team of the United States Army Air Service, the precursor of the United States Air Force. The 175-day journey from April to September covered ...
. Martin piloted the
Douglas World Cruiser ''Seattle'', from March 17, 1924 until April 30. On that day, already separated from the rest of the planes after losing an engine and being stuck in the remote Alaskan village of
Chignik, Martin struck a mountain on the Aleutian Peninsula in the fog. While the Navy and Coast Guard searched, Major Martin and his mechanic Sergeant Harvey hiked down the mountain to a fishing cannery near Port Moller, Alaska. During their ten days in the wild, they lived on concentrated emergency rations and at one point took shelter in an abandoned trapper’s cabin. Though the original plan had been for the prototype Douglas World Cruiser to be upgraded to match the operational aircraft and for Martin to rejoin his command, when it became obvious that the time required would entail missing over half of the circumnavigation, Major Martin requested that "in fairness to Lieutenant Smith, who succeeded me in command, I think he should so continue and himself bring the flight back to the United States." All of the World Fliers, even those like Major Martin who did not complete the entire trip, received the
Distinguished Service Cross for their part in the circumnavigation.
Martin continued to be promoted and had several assignments leading aviation training. In 1937, he was promoted to brigadier general and took command of the
3rd Wing
The 3rd Wing is a unit of the United States Air Force, assigned to the Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) Eleventh Air Force. It is stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.
The Wing is the largest and ...
(later 3rd Bombardment Wing) and
Barksdale Field Barksdale may refer to:
Places
* Barksdale, Mississippi, an unincorporated community
*Barksdale, Texas, an unincorporated community
* Barksdale, Wisconsin, a town
** Barksdale (community), Wisconsin, an unincorporated community
*Barksdale Air Force ...
in Louisiana. In 1940, with American entry into World War II looking imminent, he was promoted to major general and assigned to command the
Hawaiian Air Force.
Pearl Harbor attack and aftermath

As commander of Army Air Forces in Hawaii, Major General Martin coordinated with his Navy counterpart, Admiral
Patrick N. L. Bellinger to plan the defense of Hawaii in case of Japanese attack. The two wrote the (then classified) "Martin-Bellinger Report" that both correctly assessed the most likely Japanese course-of-action should they attack and that the US did not have sufficient patrol planes to reliably detect an attack. They warned "in a dawn air attack there is a high probability that it could be delivered as a complete surprise in spite of any patrols we might be using and that it might find us in a condition of readiness under which pursuit would be slow to start." Martin requested additional aircraft both in this report and in a follow-up through Army Air Corps channels a few months later, but what planes he did receive were ordered on to forward bases expected to bear the brunt of any fighting.
When the
attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Empire of Japan on the United States Pacific Fleet at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, its naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Territory of ...
did come on December 7, 1941, the Martin-Bellinger report proved prophetic. The damage was exacerbated by Hawaii Army District Commander Lieutenant General
Walter Short ordering Alert Number One. The measures in this alert were designed to make sabotage easier to guard against, but they also gathered aircraft together in ways that made it easier to attack them from the air. In the aftermath of the attack, General Short, his Navy counterpart Admiral
Husband E. Kimmel and General Martin were all relieved of command. However, the presidential
Roberts Commission
The Roberts Commission is one of two presidentially-appointed commissions. One related to the circumstances of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and another related to the protection of cultural resources during and after World War II. Both were ...
determined that General Martin had done all he could to improve the islands' readiness, and he was sent to a larger command,
Second Air Force
The Second Air Force (2 AF; ''2d Air Force'' in 1942) is a USAF numbered air force responsible for conducting basic military and technical training for Air Force enlisted members and non-flying officers. In World War II the CONUS unit defended ...
, headquartered at
Fort George Wright, Washington and responsible for bomber training and defense of the Pacific Northwest.
Later life

In July 1942, General Martin took command of the Second District,
Army Air Forces Technical Training Command
An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on Ground warfare, land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include avia ...
(AAFTTC), St. Louis, Missouri. He served in this position for much of the rest of the war, with his command changing names when AAFTTC consolidated from five districts into three and General Martin's became the
Central Technical Training Command
Central Technical Training Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was assigned to the Army Air Forces Training Command, stationed at Saint Louis, Missouri. It was inactivated on 1 March 1944.
History
The command was esta ...
. In 1944, Martin was hospitalized for ulcers, and when news came that his command was closing as war training wound down, he retired. He was awarded the
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...
upon retiring for his "distinguished services rendered during the meteoric expansion of the A.A.F. training program."
Major General Martin retired in Los Angeles, California. He died on February 24, 1954, and was buried at
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia.
...
.
Four years later, his wife Grace died and was buried next to him. His son John R. Martin would be buried sharing his father's tombstone upon his death in 1989.
Dates of rank
* Second Lieutenant, 1908
* First Lieutenant, March 11, 1911
* Captain, July 1, 1916
* Major (temporary), Aug. 5, 1917. He reverted to his permanent rank of captain on March 15, 1920, and was promoted to major, Regular Army, on July 1, 1920
* Lieutenant Colonel, Aug. 31, 1933
* Colonel (temporary), June 15, 1935
* Brigadier General (temporary), Feb. 15, 1937
* Major General (temporary), Oct. 1, 1940.
References
External links
FirstFlight.org
at ArlingtonCemetery.net, an unofficial website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Frederick L.
1882 births
1954 deaths
People from Liberty, Indiana
Air Corps Tactical School alumni
American aviation pioneers
United States Army Air Forces generals
United States Army Air Service pilots of World War I
Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army)
Recipients of the Legion of Merit
Burials at Arlington National Cemetery
United States Army Air Forces generals of World War II