Avenue of Heroes: Richard W. Martin

Prepared by: Richard Martin Jr. (son)

Captain Richard “Dick” W. Martin was born in Evansville, Indiana, in 1928. His father, the county sheriff, and his mother, a devoted wife, together instilled solid midwestern family values into Dick and his brother Bert, with a dedication to serve his family, community, and country. Dick graduated from Bosse High School in three years and attended Evansville College before attending the U.S. Naval Academy and graduating in the class of 1950 with a degree in engineering. He enthusiastically selected naval aviation, and then-Ensign Martin earned his Wings of Gold in 1952.

During Dick’s illustrious career, he flew over 15 naval aircraft including the SNJ Texan, AD-1 and AD-3 Skyraiders, SNB-2 Navigator, TBM Avenger, AF-2W/2S/3S Guardian Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) aircraft, F-101 Voodoo, F-9 Cougar, F-80 Shooting Star, F-4 Phantom, CH-46 Sea Knight, CH-53 Sea Stallion, and SH-3 Sea King. He served on the USS Monterey, USS Kula Gulf, USS Gilbert Islands, USS Leyte, USS Saipan, and USS Coral Sea. Many of his flight hours were recorded in extremely hazardous conditions.

While in his first squadron, VS-831, LT Martin was responsible for developing numerous carrier-based ASW tactics. After graduating from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Dick was assigned to the Bureau of Aeronautics, becoming an Aeronautical Engineering Duty Officer where he upgraded the electronics of the S-2F ASW aircraft. Selected for the Navy’s jet transition program, he graduated and was ordered to VF-121 at Miramar Naval Air Station as maintenance officer. Subsequent tours included duty on the Commander Naval Air Forces, Pacific staff; Naval Postgraduate School, where he earned a master’s degree in financial management; and Deputy Program Manager for the VFX, ultimately the F-14 program.

Captain Martin served as Commanding Officer of the North Island Naval Air Rework Facility, and Harpoon Program Manager at NAVAIRSYSCOM. His twilight tour was again on the COMNAVAIRPAC staff before retiring in 1977, after 27 years of dedicated service.

He met and married the love of his life, Dottie, on the Winter Solstice of 1950, and together they raised four beautiful children: Rick, Cherry, Tracy, and Jon. Today, Dick lives with his pups, Jazzy and Ivory, in the same Coronado home that he and his late wife bought in 1976.

The Avenue of Heroes military service recognition program is sponsored by the City of Coronado. Introduced in 2014, the program has honored 261 hometown heroes to date. On May 18, 2024, another 16 were honored. City staff and volunteers from the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2422, the Coronado Historical Association and Third and Fourth Streets Neighborhood Association oversee its operation.

In 2011, the program was inspired spontaneously with the movement of two Navy SEALs to their final resting place. News spread quickly and the local Rotary Club passed out American flags. People lined Fourth Street to honor the fallen service members. As the procession approached the Coronado Bridge, a lone Navy SEAL stood at attention, saluting as he waited for the passage of his comrades. That moment made clear that Third and Fourth streets were already an Avenue of Heroes.

That spontaneous beginning launched the program in May 2015 with 18 banners. The Avenue of Heroes is a reminder that Coronado has a rich history and legacy of service to the country.