lest we forget

MARTIN, DONNIE RICHARD

Rank / Branch:

  • CORPORAL (POSTHUMOUS) U. S. ARMY

Date Of Birth:

  • 1950-05-18

Country Of Loss:

  • SOUTH VIETNAM

Status:

  • HOSTILE, EXPLOSIVE DEVICE

Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground:​

  • GROUND

Other:

  • MARRIED

Unit:

  • AMERICAL DIVISION

Date Of Loss:

  • 1970-10-12

Loss Coordinates:

  • QUANG TIN

Catagory:

  • BODY RETURNED

Awards & Decorations:

  • SEE BIO

VETERAN HAGI0GRAPHY

  • MARTIN, DONNIE RICHARD, CORPORAL, U.S. ARMY, BIG SPRING, HOWARD COUNTY, TEXAS

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

  • COMBAT INFANTRYMANS BADG, PURPLE HEART, NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL, VIETNAM SERVICE MEDAL, VIETNAM MILITARY MERIT MEDAL, VIETNAM CROSS OF GALLANTRY WITH PALM, VIETNAM CAMPAIGN MEDAL

BIOGRAPHY

  • Donnie was born in Big Spring, Texas, the son of Josephine Gussie Votaw and Ralph Alter Martin. He had a younger half-sister, Arjeana. He attended Big Spring schools, last attending Big Spring High School. He dropped out of Big Spring High School in 1968 and moved to Lubbock. He enlisted in the U.S. Army from Lubbock in October 1968.
  • He completed basic training and infantry AIT at Fort Polk, Louisiana. He had service in Germany. He re-enlisted in the Army in 1970 and married Cynthia Reagan of Big Spring July 31, 1970, while on leave before going to Vietnam.
  • He began his tour in Vietnam on August 21, 1970. He was assigned as a infantryman with B Company, 1st Battalion, 46th Infantry Regiment, 196th Infantry Brigade, Americal Division. He was killed October 12, 1970, by a booby trap while on patrol.
  • He was buried with full military honors in the Trinity Memorial Garden's Cemetery in Big Spring. He was survived by his wife, Cynthia, his mother, Mrs. Norman Hill, his father, Ralph Martin and half-sister, Arijeana Elwood of Big Spring.
  • Donnie was posthumously promoted to Corporal and his wife was presented the CIB, Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal and the Vietnam Military Merit Medal as awarded by the South Vietnamese government in ceremonies held at her parent's house in December 1970. The medals were presented by Col A. D. Pickard, the senior military advisor for the West Texas Advisory Group, U.S. Army Reserves, Lubbock, Texas.
  • TRINITY MEMORIAL PARK CEMETERY, BIG SPRING, TEXAS