Gary W Martini

Gary was born on the 21st of September, 1948, in Lexington, Virginia. His family moved several times when he was growing up and he attended school in Frankford, West Virginia, before moving to Charleston, West Virginia, and in the eleventh grade, his family moved to Portland, Oregon. When Gary was seventeen, he enlisted in the US Marine Corps and attended recruit training in San Diego before transferring to Camp Pendleton and then Camp Lejeune. By the time he turned eighteen, he had been promoted to Private First Class and was a rifleman with Company F, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines, 2nd Marine Division. When Gary deployed to Vietnam, he was assigned to Company F, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division, and it was his actions four months into his deployment that would earn him the Medal of Honor. The citation reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. On 21 April 1967, during Operation Union, elements of Company F, conducting offensive operations at Binh Son, encountered a firmly entrenched enemy force and immediately deployed to engage them. The marines in Pfc. Martini's platoon assaulted across an open rice paddy to within 20 meters of the enemy trench line where they were suddenly struck by hand grenades, intense small-arms, automatic-weapons, and mortar fire. The enemy onslaught killed 14 and wounded 18 marines, pinning the remainder of the platoon down behind a low paddy dike. In the face of imminent danger, Pfc. Martini immediately crawled over the dike to a forward open area within 15 meters of the enemy position where, continuously exposed to the hostile fire, he hurled hand grenades, killing several of the enemy. Crawling back through the intense fire, he rejoined his platoon which had moved to the relative safety of a trench line. From this position he observed several of his wounded comrades lying helpless in the fire-swept paddy. Although he knew that one man had been killed attempting to assist the wounded, Pfc. Martini raced through the open area and dragged a comrade back to a friendly position. In spite of a serious wound received during this first daring rescue, he again braved the unrelenting fury of the enemy fire to aid another companion lying wounded only 20 meters in front of the enemy trench line. As he reached the fallen marine, he received a mortal wound, but disregarding his own condition, he began to drag the marine toward his platoon's position. Observing men from his unit attempting to leave the security of their position to aid him, concerned only for their safety, he called to them to remain under cover, and through a final supreme effort, moved his injured comrade to where he could be pulled to safety, before he fell, succumbing to his wounds. Stouthearted and indomitable, Pfc. Martini unhesitatingly yielded his life to save two of his comrades and insure the safety of the remainder of his platoon. His outstanding courage, valiant fighting spirit and selfless devotion to duty reflected the highest credit upon himself, the Marine Corps, and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.

Gary’s family received his Medal of Honor on the 22nd of October, 1968 from the secretary of the Navy at the Marine Barracks in Washington DC. Gary Wayne Martini is buried in the Rosewood Cemetery in Lewisburg, West Virginia: Section 2, Avenue I, Plot 89. His name appears on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial: Panel 18E, Line 61.