Below is an email I received from Brent Martin. I thought it was a positive story about his dad, Hobart Martin, that was worth sharing. Brent Martin is an Architect in Plymouth, IN that I have worked with on multiple projects including public, private and design-build work. I consider him a friend as well as a respected colleague. – Kevin
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To All:
This spring I spoke with my Dad about finding a fund-raiser for the American Legion in Hamlet, Indiana (where I was born and raised). This led to some conversations with Congressman Donnelly’s staff about doing a veterans affairs speech and dinner at the Legion, but we never really got things coordinated. Along the way, I briefly described my Dad’s service to the staff and last Friday I got a call asking if I thought my Dad would participate in a living history interview for the Library of Congress. I gave Dan, the guy who called, the contact information and about 20 minutes later Dad called to say: “Did you know Congressman Donnelly is going to come over to my house next Tuesday to interview me?”
No – I did not. Anyway, I participated – or more accurately I listened while the Congressman led my Dad through his WW II service history and his reminiscences. For about an hour, Dad recalled those days, nearly 70 years ago. Drafted at 19, he served until he was 22 in both the European and Pacific Theaters, including flying with Secretary of War Patterson to Hiroshima. I’m thinking back to the time when I was 19-22 – in college at Ball State – a somewhat typical hippie radical – and at that same age my Dad was defending the free world against tyranny. Really puts things into perspective.
So to all you veterans on my email contact list, allow me to paraphrase Congressman Donnelly: I thank you for your service to our county. You are truly American heroes. And to everyone else, let us never forget their sacrifice.
Brent
