Memorial

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S/Sgt Richard E. Martin joined the Regular Army at Fort MacArthur, California, on 10 October 1940.

Statement from T/Sgt Theodore C. Franklin:
"On 13 September 1944, the B-17 42-97848 in which I was radio operator was on a raid on Merseburg, Germany. One engine was knocked out over the target area by flak, and we were forced to lag behind our formation. We were then attacked four times by two enemy fighters, a ME 109 and an FW 190. On the first attack, the Waist Gunner, Richard E. Martin, was seriously wounded and died within five minutes. During the last three attacks, the Tail Gunner, James A. Greene, was seriously wounded. We were forced to drop to 10,000 feet after the first attack because our oxygen and interphone systems were shot out. We were then attacked by flak again somewhere in the vicinity of the Ruhr valley. The Pilot obtained two P-51 escort fighters following that attack, and they led us to a landing strip in Belgium about 15 miles inside the Allied lines. We attempted to land there in order to obtain medical treatment for the tail gunner. The landing was unsuccessful, and we crashed in a wood, and then caught fire and exploded. Only one engine was functioning properly at the time of attempted landing. Only two crew members survived the crash, myself, Theodore C. Franklin, and the Engineer, William A. Sanderson. I was told by a British medical officer that four bodies were recovered from the wreckage."