Harry Martin's family has donated more Martin's items to Bucyrus Historical Society

Harry Martin’s family donated additional items to the Bucyrus Historical Society, including the original certificate of his medal of honor, some of his college documents, such as a certificate confirming fraternity membership and some of the original photos the society previously only had copies of.

“We will take those frames, and put them as part of the display,” said Bucyrus Historical Society Trustee Randy Fischer. “That’s very nice to have.”

He said a little more than a year ago the family of Harry Martin was deciding whether to give the rest of the Martin’s possessions to the Bucyrus Historical Society or to the National WWII Museum that requested them as well.

The National WWII Museum negotiated to receive Martin's memorabilia

“The more they talked to them, the stuff was not going to be actually out on display,” said Fischer. “It was going to be stored in a depository.”

The Bucyrus Historical Society, which already had some of Martin's possessions on permanent display, was eager to expand it, and the family decided to donate to the Bucyrus Historical Society that was going to actually put the items on display.

Bucyrus High School Display

Before the donation, the Bucyrus Historical Society already had some of the Martin memorabilia, and some of them, including his medal of honor, were on display in the Bucyrus High School.

Fischer said it was a good way to display Martin’s medal of honor because even though they liked to have it, more people were able to see it at school including the students for whom that is the first thing they see when they walk in, and they can feel they are amongst Martin’s fellow Bucyrians.

“If you think about all the people that come to the school, first of all the students get to see it almost on a daily basis, and it’s a reminder for them,” he said. “But then anybody can come to see it before any kind like a football game, or a basketball game, any kind of event.”

At the Bucyrus Historical Society

In addition to the school display, the Bucyrus Historical Society already had Martin’s Purple Heart award, a number of photos with him during the war, documents from his childhood, Martin’s hat and combat knife.

“We even have his golf clubs that he had when he was in Los Angeles or Hawaii,” said Fischer.

In addition, he said, the society has the letters of his fellow soldiers that wrote about him. Fischer said the society received those objects in various ways – some were donated by Martin’s family and acquaintances.

“I had somebody call me last year and said I’ve got Harry Martin’s golf clubs,” he said. “It’s been from a number of interested people, but mostly his family.”

Fischer said Martin's family was planning on donating more items to make sure that they are well preserved, especially as Martin’s family members are getting older.

“His niece said that there were some other items that her sister has that would come our way,” said Fischer. “Don’t know what those are yet.”

The historical society made a decision based on its commitment to have a permanent display on Martin because Martin was a Bucyrus native.

“It’s going to be there forever and ever,” said Fischer.

This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Harry Martin's family donated additional items to Bucyrus Historical Society