Sergeant Arthur Lee Martin, now 86, served in Vietnam at a time when the United States government referred to personnel there as “advisors.”
“They couldn’t let the country know, hey, we’re at war in Vietnam and we haven’t told anybody,” the Prince George’s County resident told WTOP.
At the U.S. Capitol this week, Martin told reporters he served as part of the U.S. Army Security Agency, a secretive branch of the military established in 1945, which operated until 1976. Martin said he served in the early 1960s, and as the only African American in his cohort, he was conspicuous, to say the least.
“Nobody looked like me,” Martin said. “I was two feet taller than everyone.”
When he headed back home to the U.S., Martin said the military “more or less told me to come back home and keep my mouth shut.” Martin also said the documentation of his service wasn’t just scant — it was nonexistent.
“Books, dog tags, I had nothing,” Martin said. “And I had one heck of a time trying to prove that I was ever in Vietnam. I was the man that wasn’t there, I guess.”
His situation made getting the benefits that he was entitled to as a Vietnam veteran a challenge as well. For decades, Martin and his family pushed to have the proof of his service documented and recognized.
Finally, in September of this year, he got part of what he had been seeking.
The Department of the Army’s Awards and Decorations Branch notified Martin that he was, in fact, entitled to six medals, including the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Vietnam Service Medal with one Bronze Service Star.
In the Sept. 25 letter from the Army, US Army Major Damian Tong wrote: “It is an honor to issue these awards in recognition of your faithful and dedicated service to our Nation.”
On Saturday, Martin and his family will be joined by Congressman Glenn Ivey at the American Legion in Clinton, Maryland. Ivey, who represents Maryland’s 4th Congressional District, will be presenting Martin with a Congressional citation.
“We honor him for his patience and patriotism today, yesterday, and always,” Ivey said.
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story misstated the branch of the Army that Sgt. Arthur Lee Martin served in. The story has been corrected and updated.
