Hometown: San Antonio, TX
Branch: U.S. Army 
Unit: C Troop, 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska
Military Honors: Bronze Star (2) with Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Commendation Medal, Purple Heart
Date of Sacrifice: October 14, 2007 - KIA in Al Busayifi, Iraq
Age: 27
Conflict: Iraq War, 2003-2011

Tom Martin was born on October 10, 1980, into a family with a heritage of military service stretching back to the American Revolution. His mother Candis had a 38-year career in the U.S. Army, serving as a Chief Warrant Officer. His father Edmund served for 29 years and was an Army Sergeant Major.

Military life meant that the family made frequent moves. Tom was born in Huron, South Dakota, went to school for a short time in San Marcos, Texas, and graduated in 1998 from high school in Cabot, Arkansas.

Despite the moves, young Tom was active in his church, 4-H, high school band, theater, and in his community. He was dedicated and disciplined, achieving Eagle Scout with the Boy Scouts of America.

After graduating from high school, Martin enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1998. He was assigned to Fort Sill near Lawton, Oklahoma. There he completed Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training as a Field Artilleryman. From there he was assigned to Camp Stanley Army Base in Uijeongbu, South Korea.

In 2000, Martin applied to and was accepted for admission to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York—the Army’s “preeminent leader development institution.” After attending the Preparatory School (USMAPS), he entered West Point in the fall of 2001.

As a West Point Cadet, Martin majored in Military Science and played on the Army Rugby team. He earned his Parachutist Badge, completing Airborne School at Fort Benning, Georgia.

He graduated from West Point with the class of 2005. Commissioned as an Armored Cavalry Officer, Martin went on to complete the Basic Officer Leadership Course at Fort Knox, Kentucky. There he received the Draper Armor Leadership Award, recognizing the top BOLC graduate.

After volunteering for Army Ranger School, Martin earned his Ranger tab in May of 2006. He was assigned as a Sniper Platoon Leader for C Troop, 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment stationed at Fort Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska.

While at West Point, Martin had met fellow Cadet Erika Holownia, and the two began dating. A year after they graduated, Erika flew out to Alaska over a Labor Day weekend to visit Tom. They went on a cruise tour of the Kenai Fjords, and Tom wrote about the moment they paused at a glacier:

We were facing the ice and I hugged her from behind and started talking about how life was perfect when we were together and how I wanted that in the future. I talked about all the trips we’ve taken and the good times we’ve spent together and how I thought we both wouldn’t mind doing stuff like that for the rest of our lives…I turned her around so she was facing me I got down on one knee and brought out the ring and asked her to marry me. She rather adamantly said yes and as I put the ring on her finger the people around us started clapping and cheering. It was perfect.

In October 2006, Martin was deployed to a dangerous region south of Baghdad—between Sunni and Shiite areas—in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Later in August of 2007, his fiancée Erika deployed to the same region with her Medevac Company from Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Georgia. They planned to be married after their deployments in Iraq were complete.

Erika flew helicopters to airlift injured soldiers. On the occasions when she landed at his base, Tom would run out to say hello for the short two minutes she was on the ground.

With the responsibility of being a Scout Sniper Platoon Leader, Martin told his family that one of his goals was to get the men in his platoon safely home to their families. Over the next year, he completed more than 300 missions and walked more than 600 miles on active duty.

Ultimately, his goal was accomplished—but not for himself. On the night of October 14, 2007, insurgents attacked his patrol unit using small arms fire. In the darkness, shots were exchanged and 1LT Martin was hit twice. After the attack, his unit radioed for a medivac helicopter.

Erika heard the call come in, and later told a reporter, “I knew it was Tom right away.”

1LT Thomas M. Martin was 27 years old. His military honors include the Bronze Star Medal (2) with Oak Leaf Cluster, an Army Commendation Medal, and a Purple Heart.

He was laid to rest at West Point National Cemetery.

Sources
Details submitted by Candis and Edmund Martin, Lt. Martin’s parents
1LT Tom Martin Memorial Foundation: Tom’s Story
West-Point.org: 1st Lt. Thomas M. Martin USA (KIA)
Library of Congress: A Soldier’s Story: Thomas Michael Martin
Library of Congress, Veterans History Project: Thomas Michael Martin Collection
Military Times, Honor the Fallen: Army 1st Lt. Thomas M. Martin
Lt. Martin’s blog journal: tommym1080.com
Porter Loring: Thomas M. Martin 1lt US Army
Burial Site: Find a Grave