MARTIN, JOHN MURRAY Name: John Murray Martin Rank/Branch: O3/US Air Force Unit: Date of Birth: 17 June 1931 Home City of Record: Glenshaw PA (family in DE) Date of Loss: 20 November 1967 Country of Loss: North Vietnam/Over Water Loss Coordinates: 170800N 1072000E (YD135985) Status (in 1973): Missing In Action Category: 5 Acft/Vehicle/Ground: F4C Refno: 0923 Others In Incident: James Badley (rescued) Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 March 1991 from one or more of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews. Updated by the P.O.W. NETWORK 2002 with information provided by John Martin's Daughter-In-Law, Debbie. REMARKS: SYNOPSIS: The Phantom, used by Air Force, Marine and Navy air wings, served a multitude of functions including fighter-bomber and interceptor, photo and electronic surveillance. The two man aircraft was extremely fast (Mach 2), and had a long range (900 - 2300 miles, depending on stores and mission type). The F4 was also extremely maneuverable and handled well at low and high altitudes. Most pilots considered it one of the "hottest" planes around. James Badley flew backseater on F4C Phantom fighter jets. It was his job to operate the sophisticated computerized navigation and weapons systems of the aircraft. He was highly trained and specialized. His job was tough, but one of the most sought after for a pilot. When Badley and his pilot, Capt John Murry Martin, embarked on a combat mission on November 20, 1967, Martin was not to return. The aircraft was shot down very near the island of Hon Co, about 10 miles northeast of the Demilitarized Zone, in North Vietnam. His last known location was very near the island of Hon Co, about 10 miles northeast of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Badley ejected and was rescued. That night, Badley wrote his brother and said, "Capt. Martin never came out. I am heartsick. I can't stop thinking about John and Tina and their five kids. I'm afraid to go to sleep. They will probably list him as missing, but there's not much doubt about what actually happened. Tina won't know for a while that her husband went down with the plane, but the Air Force seems to think that is best." Badley planned to visit Tina when he returned home, but he was killed March 27, 1968, so the conversation never took place. Twenty-three years later, the Air Force still had not told Tina "her husband went down with the plane." Badley's wartime sweetheart, Lynda Paffrath, visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. and was shocked to find John Murray Martin's name, listed as missing, alongside Badley's on the Wall. She immediately tried to track down the Martin family to tell them what Badley had told her. She found them in late September through Ann Landers' advice column. Martin's oldest daughter, Cindy, had spent years of uncertainty, believing her father could still be alive. She wrote in appreciation to Lynda, "...for me, September 27, 1990, was the day my father died. I (wondered) if I would ever know for certain. For the first time in almost 23 years, I can mourn my father's death. I am grateful that he didn't suffer in one of those (prisoner of war) camps." The Martin family might have been spared 23 years of grief if the U.S. Government had told them the truth about what happened on November 19, 1967. Many cases are still classified, and families do not know exactly what happened when their loved ones were lost. It's time we learned the truth about all our missing and brought them home - alive or dead. Tina Martin passed away in early 2002 still waiting for answers.