John L. Martin Jr. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1920-10-18)18 October 1920 |
| Died | 15 November 2009(2009-11-15) (aged 89) |
| Place of burial | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch |
|
| Service years | 1940–1970 |
| Rank |  Major General |
| Conflicts | |
| Awards | |
| Relations | Abner B. Martin (brother) |
John Landrum Martin Jr. (18 October 1920 – 15 November 2009) was amajor general in theUnited States Air Force. He enlisted in theUnited States Army Air Corps in 1940 and flew combat missions inBoeing B-29 Superfortress bombers in theChina-Burma-India Theater.
In 1960, he became deputy director of the Office of Missile and Satellite Systems in theOffice of the Secretary of the Air Force. When the office was reorganized, he became the secondNational Reconnaissance Office (NRO) staff director. In 1964 he moved toEl Segundo, California, as vice director and later director of special projects, also known asNRO Program A. He devised and implemented an incentive contract structure for satellite programs that was still in used decades later, and introduced changes to procedures for satellite component and system testing.
After he retired from the USAF in 1970, he became vice president for engineering and operations at theCommunications Satellite Corporation (COMSAT) in Washington, D.C., where he oversaw the development and deployment of theComstar,Marisat andAerosat communication satellite programs.
John Landrum Martin Jr. was born on the family farm of his parents, John Landrum Martin Sr. and Blanche Wheeler Martin, inFairforest, South Carolina, on 18 October 1920. He had a younger brother,Abner Broadwater Martin. From 1937 to 1940, he attendedClemson Agricultural and Mechanical College, where he studied mechanical engineering, and earned aprivate pilot license.[1][2]
In 1940 Martin enlisted in theUnited States Army Air Corps as aFlying Cadet. On completion of his flight training atRandolph Field inTexas in 1941, he was commissioned as asecond lieutenant, but stayed at Randolph Field as an instructor. During a training flight toEl Paso, Texas, in 1942, he met Elisabeth (Bettie) Blakemore, and they married after a six-month courtship. They had a daughter Teri, and a son, John Landrum Martin III.[1][2]
Martin completed additional training on theConsolidated B-24 Liberator four-engine bomber, and then was assigned to the444th Bombardment Group in April 1943. He represented the group at the factory where the group's newBoeing B-29 Superfortress bomber was being built and tested. In April 1944, the 444th Bombardment Group deployed to theChina-Burma-India Theater as part of the58th Bombardment Wing of theXX Bomber Command. Martin flew 14 combat missions, and made 30 trips across "The Hump" (theHimalayan mountains) ferrying fuel and bombs to a forward air base in China. He returned to Randolph Field in March 1945 as a B-29 training group commander, a position he held for the rest of the war.[1][2]
After the war, Martin served with the509th Bombardment Group. He earned aBachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering from thePolytechnic Institute of Brooklyn in 1948, followed by aMaster of Science degree in aeronautical engineering from theMassachusetts Institute of Technology in 1951. He then became anassistant professor at theAir Force Institute of Technology atWright-Patterson Air Force Base inOhio. He served for three years in that post, and then four more starting in 1954 at theWright Air Development Center as chief of the Flight Control Laboratory.[1][2]
In July 1958, Martin was assigned toUnited States Air Force (USAF) Headquarters atThe Pentagon inWashington, D.C. In 1960, he became deputy director of the Office of Missile and Satellite Systems in theOffice of the Secretary of the Air Force. When the office was reorganized, he became the secondNational Reconnaissance Office (NRO) staff director on 14 June 1964. He was promoted tobrigadier general in 1963. In August 1964 he moved toEl Segundo, California, as vice director of special projects, also known as NRO Program A. He became director of Program A on 1 July 1965, with the rank ofmajor general, concurrently serving as deputy commander for satellite programs in the Space Systems Division of theAir Force Systems Command. He devised and implemented an incentive contract structure for satellite programs that was still in use decades later, and introduced changes to procedures for satellite component and system testing.[1][2]
After Martin retired from the USAF in 1970, he worked forCommunications Satellite Corporation (COMSAT) in Washington, D.C., as its vice president for engineering and operations. In this role he oversaw the development and deployment of theComstar,Marisat andAerosat communication satellite programs. He retired again in 1981. In retirement he returned to San Antonio, where he built an experimental aeroplane based on a design byBurt Rutan.[2][3] His decorations included theArmy Distinguished Service Medal, theLegion of Merit with one oak leaf cluster, theDistinguished Flying Cross with one oak leaf cluster, and theAir Medal with two oak leaf clusters.[1][2]
He died in San Antonio on 15 November 2009, and was buried inFort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio. He was survived by his children and brother Abner. His wife died in 2008.[2]
