Duane W. Martin

Duane Whitney Martin (January 2, 1940 – July 16, 1966) was an American Air Force officer and prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. He was killed by locals two and a half weeks after he and Dieter Dengler escaped from a Pathet Lao prison camp. Pilot Thomas J. Curtis, crew chief William A. Robinson, and pararescue specialist Arthur Black were captured by the North Vietnamese Army and later freed during Operation Homecoming. Martin, however, was captured by the Pathet Lao and taken to a POW camp in Laos.

After 17 days on the run, Martin decided to try to steal food from a nearby Akha village. He was accompanied by Dengler despite Dengler's insistence that it would be suicide. The pair were spotted by a boy playing with a dog and were attacked by a machete-wielding villager after the boy cried out. Martin was killed after being hit in the leg and neck. Dengler managed to escape; he was the only survivor of the group aside from Intharathat. The other prisoners are still unaccounted for. His name is listed on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Awards and honors

Martin's Air Force Cross citation acknowledged his "courageous action and devotion to duty... keeping with the highest traditions of the American fighting man under attack by an opposing armed force. Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship, and aggressiveness in the face of hostile forces, First Lieutenant Martin reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force."

U.S. Air Force Pilot BadgeAir Force CrossDistinguished Flying Crossw/ Valor device Purple Heartw/ 1 bronze oak leaf clusterAir Force Commendation MedalAir Force Presidential Unit CitationPrisoner of War MedalNational Defense Service MedalVietnam Service Medalw/ 3 bronze campaign starsAir Force Longevity Service AwardSmall Arms Expert Marksmanship RibbonRepublic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit CitationVietnam Campaign Medal