Name: CPT Duane Whitney Martin (posthumously promoted)
Status: Body Not Recovered from an incident on 09/20/1965 while performing the duty of Co-pilot.
Died 303 days later on 07/20/1966.
Age at death: 26.5
Date of Birth: 01/02/1940
Home City: Denver, CO
Service: regular component of the U.S. Air Force.
Unit: 39 ARRS
Service: U.S. Air Force.
The Wall location: 02E-091
Short Summary: In North Vietnam while escaping with Navy pilot Dieter Dengler near DMZ. Beheaded by locals. Dengler picked up by 38 ARRS.
Aircraft: HH-43 tail number 62-04510
Service number: 75418
Country: North Vietnam
MOS: *
Primary cause: NVN-BNR E&E
Started Tour: 07/20/1965
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - other aircrew
Length of service: 03
Additional information about this casualty:
HH-43 #62-4510 was downed by enemy fire about 40 miles south of Vinh,Vietnam, while participating in a SAR mission searching for a downed F-105 pilot. The HH-43 aircrewmen, who became prisoners-of-war (POWs) were: Captain Thomas J. Curtis, pilot; First Lieutenant Duane W. Martin, copilot; Airman First Class William A. Robinson, flight mechanic; and Airman Second Class Arthur N. Black, pararescueman. All four men were awarded the Air Force Cross, in absentia. Later, between 15 and 20 July 1966, Captain Martin was killed while attempting to escape. The other three men remained POWs until 12 February 1973.
from "Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Service 1946-1981 an Illustrated Chronology" published 1983 by Military Airlift Command History, author was Donald D. Little.
Note: The KIA date is different in the Defense Intelligence Agency information and on the Wall.
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - died while missing
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Religion: unknown or not reported
This record was last updated on 02/21/1994
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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