Sergeant First Class Lance Martin was nominated by his daughter Amy, who had the following to say about him: “My dad has always been my hero. He sacrificed his young adulthood by entering the Army when he was 18. Because of his service, he met and fell in love with my mom, who was in the WAC (Women’s Army Core), in 1977. The Army literally brought them together and is the reason my sister and I are here. My dad was actually stationed in South Korea when I was born and met me at 4 months old. He made that ultimate sacrifice for his nation, as badly as he wanted to see his new baby. My dad was also stationed in many different places, including Germany, and finally retired out of Ft. Benning, GA. This meant we moved around a lot and we didn’t see much of him during the day, but I never felt like we were missing something. I have to give my mom, also an Army veteran, thanks for this – she was the rock and played both the maternal and parental role while dad was away. When my dad was home, we spent lots of time together as a family and he made us feel so loved we never questioned his being away. Before he retired, my dad spent 7 months overseas during Desert Storm and Desert Shield. He was in control of the diesel vehicles – a very important job – and never once complained to anyone, even though he saw some pretty horrific things and dealt with some PTSD afterwards. Before he left, he was given a U.S. flag and sewed it inside the top of his boonie hat so that he kept the U.S. with him everywhere he went. He still proudly wears that hat today. I remember going to pick him up from the airport when the soldiers arrived from Iraq in 1991. I was either 7 or 8 and I remember being able to spot my dad out of the sea of green and I ran to him. He scooped me up in his arms and it was probably the happiest I have ever been in my life – a moment of pure joy. It was a very special moment I hold dear – in that moment, he wasn’t Sgt. Martin, he was Daddy. Thanks daddy, for your service.”
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, LANCE!
