Bucyrus Historical Society plans Veterans Day event honoring 1st Lt. Harry Martin

The Bucyrus Historical Society will showcase a new exhibit honoring Congressional Medal of Honor winner Harry L. Martin with a special ceremony on Veterans Day.

Martin, a first lieutenant in the Marine Corps, was killed March 26, 1945, while fighting the Japanese on Iwo Jima.

The historical society will partner with local veterans' organizations for the event, starting at 1 p.m. Nov. 11 outside the Scroggs House Museum, 202 S. Walnut St., said Randy Fischer, the event's organizer. In case of bad weather, the event will be moved to the sanctuary of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, across the street from the museum.

The special exhibit unites Martin memorabilia that has been spread across the community with new items contributed by Martin's family, Fischer said.

Last year, Martin's family was approached by the National WWII Museum in New Orleans about being the repository for his memorabilia, he said.

"And they thought about it, but they couldn't get the national museum to commit that it would be on display — which, that's understandable," he said.

But the historical society was quick to make that commitment.

"We'll have it on permanent display at the museum," Fischer said. "So they chose us."

The memorabilia went on display earlier this year, but it was upstairs in the museum's War Room, he said.

"To honor his serve and his sacrifice, we wanted to call attention to it, and let folks know we have this stuff and it's worth coming to see, and it's worth remembering," he said. So the display was moved downstairs, where it's more accessible.

Martin's actual Medal of Honor is normally displayed in the Bucyrus High School commons. Representatives of the society contacted school officials about borrowing it for the event.

"We're hoping to have it through our Christmas open house on Dec. 4, so it would be there for about three weeks," Fischer said.

The historical society and the school plan to consider a permanent arrangement that would allow the museum to display the medal during summer months, while the school is closed, he explained.

Items from another collection displayed in Bucyrus City Hall also will be included. That display includes a model of the USS Harry L. Martin, which was christened in 2000; photos; and other memorabilia.

"We've got some really neat documents and a lot of his personal effects," Fischer said. That includes everything from Martin's Purple Heart medal to his footlocker.

The VFW's World War II Willys Jeep will be on display at the museum, too.

"This is really, truly a community effort to honor and recognize 1st Lt. Martin's sacrifice," Fischer said.

Veterans Day event starts at 1 p.m.

United in Harmony will perform the national anthem for the Nov. 11 event, the Marine Hymn and Taps. Local veterans' groups will provide a color guard and a rifle volley. Mayor Jeff Reser will speak to open the event.

Former Marine Ty Bowers of American Legion Post 181 will read a letter Martin's mother received from his commanding officer.

"That is a very personal letter and it describes in detail what happened," Fischer said.

Martin's official citation will be read by former Mayor Doug WIlson, a retired colonel from the U.S. Army. John Kurtz, historical society president, will speak.

The keynote speaker will be retired Lt. General Norman Smith of the U.S. Marine Corps. Smith, a 1951 graduate of Bucyrus High School, who will speak by telephone from his home in Virginia, Fischer said.

Smith enrolled in the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) while attending the University of Arkansas on a basketball scholarship, Fischer said. He joined the Marine Corps and eventually became a three-star general.

"He served all across the world, but at one point was the U.S. commander of all of our forces in the Pacific," Fischer said. After attending a special annual commemorative service at Iwo Jima, which is normally closed to the public, he brought home a vial of sand from the island, which is part of the display at Bucyrus High School.

Some of Smith's memorabilia will be on display, too. The museum also has items related to the city's other Medal of Honor winner, Col. Cyrus Sears, who served in the Civil War.

The ceremony is expected to last about 45 minutes, and then the museum will be open until 4 p.m.

Other community events are planned for Veterans Day, Fischer noted.

American Legion Post 181 will serve breakfast that morning, and the Crawford County Veterans Hall of Fame will have its induction ceremony at 7 p.m. at Bucyrus High School.

Who was 1st Lt. Harry L. Martin?

Here's the text of Harry L. Martin's Congressional Medal of Honor citation:

"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Platoon Leader attached to Company C, Fifth Pioneer Battalion, Fifth Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, 26 March 1945. With his sector of the Fifth Pioneer Battalion bivouac area penetrated by a concentrated enemy attack launched a few minutes before dawn, First Lieutenant Martin instantly organized a firing line with the Marines nearest his foxhole and succeeded, in checking momentarily the headlong rush of the Japanese.Determined to rescue several of his men trapped in positions overrun by the enemy, he defied intense hostile fire to work his way through the Japanese to the surrounded Marines. Although sustaining two severe wounds, he blasted the Japanese who attempted to intercept him, located his beleaguered men and directed them to their own lines. When four of the infiltrating enemy took possession of an abandoned machine-gun pit and subjected his sector to a barrage of hand grenades, First Lieutenant Martin alone and armed only with a pistol, boldly charged the hostile position and killed all its occupants.

"Realizing that his remaining comrades could not repulse another organized attack, he called to his men to follow and then charged into the midst of the strong enemy force, firing his weapon and scattering them until he fell, mortally wounded by a grenade.

"By his outstanding valor, indomitable fighting spirit and tenacious determination in the face of overwhelming odds, First Lieutenant Martin permanently disrupted a coordinated Japanese attack and prevented a greater loss of life in his own and adjacent platoons and his inspiring leadership and unswerving devotion to duty reflect the highest credit upon himself and the United States Naval Service.

"He gallantly gave his life in service of his country."

This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Veterans Day event will honor memory of 1st Lt. Harry L. Martin